Starlight's Bridge
by Tiara of Sapphires
Summary: Their union would unite their peoples, whether they liked it or not. aka the Arranged Marriage/Royalty!AU that literally nobody asked for. You're getting it anyway.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so, I made this. Instead of working on my other WIPs. Oops.**

 **And the title isn't from a Starset song, so a little break in character on my part, I guess.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **One Time Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. I just like to suffer.**

…

Sara knew it was a privilege to be born into royalty. It meant a full belly and a roof over her head. Clothes and books and want for nothing material.

But, like all things, that sort of security came at a price.

Her life was dictated by one immutable fact: that her freedom, her life, could be made forfeit in the name of protecting the people.

It wasn't something to be met with fear, but with a sense of honor. It was an honor to serve, to lead.

This applied to both her and Scott, but to her especially.

She was the first-born. It was random chance that she was born before her brother, the first twin, making her heir apparent and him second in line.

It had been a relief to the politicians who orbited and leeched off of the crown, the ones who the people elected and connived in their towering headquarters.

The King and Queen of Hyperion had two children.

Scott was an extraneous part in their eyes, in case Sara had died before she could ascend the throne, in case Sara ran errant and was forced to abdicate.

An ugly thing to say, often whispered between the fawning bureaucrats, honeyed tones turned to poison as soon as they were out of earshot. It was one of the many reasons Alec kept his children as far away from the Citadel and its bureaucrats as possible.

She was Princess Sara. She was to be queen, one day.

Her life was meant to be of sacrifice, for the good of the people. It meant countless sleepless nights, the burden of millions of souls.

It meant dealing with the threat of war. It meant looking to the future, both of her family and families she would never meet.

This was her fate. And she accepted that.

Sacrifices had to be made for the good of the people. It was a given, something drilled into her head the moment she was old enough to comprehend it.

She already lost plenty of sleep over the people her family was charged with protecting.

…

Sam found her tucked in a remote corner of the palace, one hand fiddling with the hem of her slacks and the other holding up a datapad.

She had missed out on a Prothean dig in Leusinia's mountains the days before, but Peebee had sent her files of their findings. Sara dug through them with envy, mentally comparing what they had found to what she had found in previous sites.

The set of files came with a short message: _Come on, Princess. Shed those palace digs and join me at this dig!_

And really, Sara would have and _should_ have gone, taken her required security detail with her, and gotten her hands dirty. But Alec had tightened her leash recently, virtually forbidding her to leave Hyperion.

She just had to hope something interesting showed up in Hyperion so she could leave and actually do something.

She wasn't holding her breath. When humans were given their share of land and kingdom on Nexus many centuries ago, they were—likely unintentionally—shoved into the most boring archaeology-wise part of the planet.

It was enough for her to publish three academic papers—under pseudonym of course—but if she lived in Leusinia, she would've had enough for ten.

Damn it, why did the asari get to have all the fun?

"Your Highness."

Sara started and almost rolled her eyes at the sound of Sam's voice. Sara had known Sam as long as she had been alive, more of a father to her than her own father. Yet, he still used all the proper titles, hardly ever used her name.

"Yeah?" she sighed.

She looked to him as he rose from a bow. Another formality that he clung to.

Yeah, thanks Sam, she got it. She was royalty. It meant she had few friends and way more responsibilities than some would predict.

"Your father requests your presence in his office."

She cocked a brow, interest piqued.

There were _very_ few things that would merit her father calling her into his office. It was almost always to inform her of something important. Like an attack or a military engagement or the signing of an important treaty.

And when it wasn't, it was an occasion he took to reprimand her on something she did wrong. That happened more often than not. She liked looking for artifacts, talking with real people, and experiencing life outside the palace walls, so what?

She, of course, tried to avoid scandal and drawing attention to herself but if there was a situation that needed mediating, of course she stuck her nose in it. What was the point of having influence if you can't throw it around on occasion?

"Alright. Thanks, Sam. By the way, you are allowed to call me Sara, you know that."

He nodded, a wry smirk twisting his features.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness, Princess _Sara_."

She actually rolled her eyes at that.

"Thanks Sam. Walk with me."

Sam nodded again, this time with more of a smile.

"Of course."

They walked through the halls of her home, _their_ home, really, side-by-side.

They got respectful nods and salutes from the people they passed, most of them directed at her and not at Sam. While not royalty—to be honest, Sara didn't know where Sam actually came from or how he came into her father's service—Sam was respected by most. Belittled and mistrusted by a few, since being at the king's ear drew ire from politicians who desired a similar position.

The man was striking: dark skin, electric-blue eyes, and hair white as snow. He was also probably the smartest human alive. It probably helped Sam's case in being her father's right hand, his eyes and ears.

Put Sam and her father in a room, and there was little they couldn't do.

Sara spoke up after a moment of quiet. "Any idea what my dad wants to talk about? Or has he told you to keep your mouth shut?"

She glanced over at Sam. His face was a careful blank, as usual.

"I was made aware of the topic before I was sent to get you. But he wishes to tell you himself. So, I will, as you say, keep my mouth shut."

Sara sighed. Of course. Right. Leave it to her dad to be secretive. She wanted to know what was so important that he sent Sam to fetch her personally, as soon as possible.

"Does this only involve me? Or is Scott in trouble too?"

"No, this has nothing to do with your brother."

Okay, that narrowed things down a little bit. Not a lot, but a little.

Finally, they stopped in front of two ornate doors.

Sam murmured, "He wished to speak with you privately. So, I will take my leave."

Sara nodded.

"Okay. See you later, Sam."

He held the door open for her, nodding. She stepped into the room and the door closed softly behind her.

Deathly silence in the room, not even the soft murmur of music.

"Dad," Sara said, in a way of announcing her presence. Her voice was strong and steady and she internally high-fived herself for not sounding like a guilty child.

Alec was seated in his desk chair, turned so his back was to her. He didn't move to acknowledge her, didn't say a word. Sara thought about calling out his name, but instead took the opportunity to look around a bit.

There were bookshelves and models and maps on every wall—not unlike the inside of her room—except for the one right behind the desk.

Behind his chair was a large painting.

Her father, stern as always, but also younger, a little happier and a little less tired, stood stiff, staring forward. The Hyperion crowd sat on a head of hair that had more brown than grey. Her mother sat on a stool next to him, regal, kind, a small smile curling at the edges of her mouth. Her tiara was delicate, dress simple. Scientist and gentlewoman, the love of Hyperion's king.

Sara sat on a slightly shorter stool next to Ellen, Scott standing behind Sara.

The artist had taken liberties on her and Scott's appearances. This was painted when they were teenagers, soft and gangly and awkward, before they grew into their bodies.

It was a happier time. A picture of blue and green and white and gold.

Now, Ellen was dead, had been for a while. Alec was distant and solemn, worn down to the bone and turning grey. And Sara and Scott had matured and struggled to find their places in the world.

Finally, Alec turned in his chair.

"Sara," he greeted.

She bowed her head slightly in deference. Though he was her father, he was still king. And it meant that everyone treated him with respect, even his own children.

"Dad. Is something wrong?"

Another question she could've asked was 'Did _I_ do something wrong?' She couldn't think of any recent issues that would've required a summons.

Alec's mouth twitched sardonically and a pit of dread formed in Sara's stomach.

Crap, something was _definitely_ wrong. She didn't know what, but she knew enough about her dad to know that something was at least not-good.

"Come," Alec said, gesturing to the empty space next to him behind his desk.

Sara obeyed with little hesitation. She slowly rounded the large desk and stood next to him.

This was how it could have been. If Alec hadn't been wrapped up in his duties and set out to keep his children at arms' length, they could actually have a relationship that couldn't be boiled down to because-we're-family-we-love-each-other-just-by-virtue-of-being-family.

"What do you see?" He gestured to the holographic image of a planet, a familiar one.

This felt like a test. She didn't know what kind of test it was, but she wasn't in a position to not humor Alec in whatever he had planned.

"Heleus, our sister planet," Sara said.

War-torn, a fifth of its land occupied. Reports came in daily of attacks on villages and towns at the borders, a dozen, a few dozen, dying at a time.

The kett hadn't come to Nexus yet, but Nexus peoples have died when they attacked shipping transports and trade hubs on Heleus.

Mere weeks earlier was the 10-year anniversary of a massacre that killed a thousand people in a trading market on Heleus, many of whom were Nexus citizens.

Sara remembered the mass funerals for the human victims. She was young, but not so young that the tragedy was hidden from her. She stood behind the podium with her brother and mother as Alec gave a speech.

He gave condolences, asked for vigilance, asked that the Nexus didn't cut off Heleus in reflex to the attack.

"Their pain is our pain and our pain is their pain. Their war is our war," he had said.

The isolationists hissed and gnashed their teeth in the face of the idea, but they were a minority. Cooperation with Heleus continued, albeit cautious and strained.

Sara blinked as she came back into focus to Alec speaking. "—the kett have plenty to gain from taking over Heleus: slave labor, mining resources, cutting off trade routes."

He pointed at spots in Heleus where there were known kett bases and hotspots of fighting. Sara's eyes followed his finger, not really catching the gist of why he called her in the first place.

He continued, "That would make a subsequent strike against Nexus more in their favor. We have our armies, arguably just as strong as the kett. But we are almost entirely reliant on imports of ores from Heleus to make weapons. If the trading stops, eventually there won't be enough guns, enough ammo, to go around."

This war started before she was born, before her father was born. That was a lot of time, a lot of suffering. The angara were strong, were able to keep kett gains to a minimum over the decades, containing them, but never defeating them.

And there had been whispers of a Heleus-Nexus summit in order to better deal with this shared threat. Nobody confirmed anything to her, for security reasons.

But why was Alec telling her this? She could pull up the same records without her father's help and look for herself.

"You're beating around the bush, Dad. What's going on?"

Alec glared at her and before she could think to apologize for her outburst, he sighed.

"Dowager Queen Sahuna Ama Darav of Havarl, a large territory in Heleus, made contact with the Nexus heads of state with an offer."

"What kind of offer?"

They were getting to the part where it was pertinent to her. If the grit of Alec's teeth was anything to go by, the offer was not a happy one.

"She offered her son, Jaal, in a political marriage with one of the Nexus royal families."

Sara blinked at that information.

"I—"

Alec barreled on as if she didn't speak. "Asari and humans are the only ones who can have children with the angara. Leusinia's queen and council have already refused the offer."

The reason Alec called her quickly fell into place in her mind.

"But _you_ haven't," Sara said slowly.

Alec sighed and turned in his chair to face her directly.

"Nexus needs a tangible connection to Heleus and the angara outside of trade and military alliances. It will give people hope that there will be a future. It will also improve Hyperion's standing amongst the Nexus kingdoms."

The other shoe dropped. And she knew he wasn't referring to Scott to be the one to marry this…Jaal.

Sara said, "So, you want me to marry him?"

For a moment, she thought Alec would burst out laughing, telling her it was a joke, like he, after the twenty-two years she knew him, suddenly grew a sense of humor. Instead, he nodded.

Fuck.

"Jaal and a host of angara representatives will be in Hyperion in four days. You and Jaal will be introduced. You can...talk, get to know each other."

He made it sound like the decision had already been made. It probably was. Knowing her father, he answered 'yes' the moment the offer landed on his desk.

It was almost funny to see how the whole idea of this was uncomfortable for him. He never asked about her romantic life. Now, he made himself the architect of it.

Marriage to a man she didn't know and didn't love. Expected as a symbol of unity. Expected to bear a child, maybe several children, as tangible proof of a Nexus-Heleus alliance.

Scott was going to have a heart attack when she told him.

Alec continued, "And if he proposes and you accept, well, we will work on it from there."

Sara chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Did you talk to Tann and the rest of the Citadel? Do they approve of this?"

The four kingdoms had power, considerable power, but they all answered to the Citadel, a group of elected representatives. Surely, they had to have a say in this. A politically arranged marriage between humans and the angara would not only affect Hyperion but the rest of Nexus as well.

Alec crossed his arms, looking utterly defiant.

"Tann and the Citadel don't know about this, yet. They will soon. They will have enough on their hands with negotiations with the other angara representatives. I don't need their approval when it comes to my _family_."

Sara blinked at the acid Alec seemed to spit at the idea of answering to the Citadel regarding this.

It was no secret he had next to no respect for Tann or Addison. There were few Citadel leadership he tolerated, much less respected.

Alec sighed again.

"I know I am asking much of you. You are my daughter and my heir and strength runs in our family."

She wished she could take him on his word. She wished he could take that as an expression of his fatherly love and pride for her and leave it like that.

She wasn't fooled, knew most of it was in an attempt to persuade her. An appeal to her pride or something.

But she knew, and she was pretty sure he knew, what her answer was after he gave her this offer.

"I will do it, Dad." The words were out of her mouth, in the open. She was waving the white flag of surrender in a face of a potential conflict she wasn't willing to fight. "It's—it's my duty, right? For the people?"

For the people. That was where it started and ended, wasn't it? Do it for the people?

He nodded, relaxing slightly. Maybe he expected her to fight him on it. Demand that it wasn't fair.

Well, it really wasn't fair. She just wasn't going to argue that point. Life wasn't fair.

She made the right answer. There wasn't a choice. She knew that.

She glanced away and up at their family portrait, to four faces. She didn't want to look at the living man in the chair.

The world was complicated back then and nothing had changed.

Arranged marriages were supposed to be things in storybooks, things that happened centuries ago, especially when humans were trying to keep and maintain a foothold of power on Nexus.

"You know, your mother probably wouldn't have approved of this," Alec mused, following her gaze, sounding self-deprecating.

Sara exhaled a laugh. "Probably not. She wanted me and Scott to fall in love, like you and her did."

Ellen's deathbed request, as the last of her life began to leak away.

She turned back to Alec. He looked sad. It was a hollow victory to see some sort of emotion that wasn't either anger or detachment on his face.

Sara knew that part of Alec died the moment Ellen died. The loss had broken his heart, as it did Sara's and Scott's.

"We don't all have that luxury," Alec said. "I wish I could have given it to you and your brother."

Alec drummed his fingers on his desk before pulling up another file, this one looking more like a person's profile.

The somber mood was forced away. Back to professionalism, father and daughter only in name and in blood.

"I don't know the details of what will happen after the wedding," Alec said. "It is likely you will live half the time here and half the time in Havarl. We will iron out the details later."

She nodded, could hear the forced attempt at a light tone in his voice.

She couldn't smile at him.

"Okay. Tell me more about my future husband."

…

 **So, yeah. This is happening.**

 **All feedback is appreciated! 3**

 **Come say hi on Tumblr at tiaraofsapphires!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	2. Chapter 2

**TFW school kicks you in the ass. Sorry about the wait, dears.**

 **Thanks so much for the feedback! Always appreciated!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

Sara made a beeline to the training grounds as soon as Alec dismissed her, whipping off her jacket and shirt until she only in her pants and thin tank top.

She _really_ needed to hit something.

It wasn't in anger, not truly. She couldn't be angry with Jaal—only the abstract idea of him because she didn't _really_ know who he was—after her father broke the news to her. Jaal likely didn't want to be a part of this either and it wasn't his fault.

It didn't matter.

She was getting almost certainly going to be married to him, an angara of royal blood. Unlike her, Jaal wasn't the heir to the throne of his respective kingdom. According to Alec and the file he had on the angara prince, Jaal was the fourth-born child and, therefore, fourth in line to the throne.

Jaal was older than her, the equivalent of 27 years to 22 of hers. There was some consolation to be had there. At least he wasn't twice or three times her age or something outrageous for an angara who would live as long as she.

Sara twirled an omniblade in her hand, easy as breathing.

From a young age, Alec demanded that his children be skilled in combat, along with book-learning and being a ruler. They had their bodyguards whenever they left the palace, sure, but it wasn't satisfactory for the king.

"You need to know how to defend yourselves," Alec had said.

Sure, it served her when smugglers and pirates tried poking holes into her. They landed their hits, but it was rare.

But now it would serve her in another way.

The angara were a warrior race, above all. They had to be, after centuries of skirmishes with the Nexus races and now this decades-long war with the kett. It made them suspicious of outsiders, clinging to those who looked like them. Outside of relatively few cases, they interacted with Nexus out of necessity, nothing more.

Sara couldn't blame them.

But now, that was changing.

Not only was the Prince coming, but he was bringing various representatives from Heleus to strengthen and renegotiate military and economic ties.

It wasn't just about the engagement and wedding. But a lot of it was about this unconventional event. It would serve as a distraction for the average citizen to ogle and gossip about while leaders and politicians haggled and bartered behind closed doors.

Who cares about a potential economy-altering deal when there's Sara's dress to be whispered about?

Her omniblade tore out some of the stuffing, making the soft stuff smoke and burn.

Sara supposed this training would make her _pleasing_ to her likely-future husband.

The thought of it made her feel a bit ill. They hadn't even met yet, the engagement not even finalized, and it felt like she was waiting at the gallows.

She jumped into this without really thinking.

Lunge forward, stab, twist.

Time seemed to blur, as she made mincemeat of the target dummies. Sweat beaded at her temples and dampened her shirt.

When something large moved into her periphery, she jumped, whipping towards the source of the movement with a gasp.

Drack held up his hands in a sarcastically placating gesture, bowing in mocking supplication. It was more for her benefit than his. It wasn't like she could really do anything to him.

Sure, an omniblade to the gut would hurt just about anyone, but Drack would easily shrug it off and knock her flat on her ass.

"Something's got you pissed off, kid," Drack grumbled.

Sara huffed and turned back to her unmoving victim. She liked Drack. He treated her like a normal person, if not with a slight bit more respect. It was refreshing.

"Did you hear?" Sara asked.

It was probably hours since she talked to Alec. After that, there was no reason why this engagement would remain hidden.

This union would be milked for all its worth to drum up morale and feelings of camaraderie between the two planets. The word would be put out as soon as possible and not even the malcontents in the Citadel would dare come out too loudly against it.

She could only imagine the amount of emails she was going to return to.

Drack leaned up against the nearby wall and crossed his arms. "About that angara prince that's coming in a couple days? Yeah."

Sara's lip curled. "My _fiancé,_ Prince Jaal Ama Darav."

No, she wasn't angry with him. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that fact.

"That's if he actually proposes," Drack huffed.

"If he does, I will accept. For the good of our peoples."

She glanced over at Drack, who grunted disbelievingly.

It wasn't like he had much faith in this sort of thing. After the genophage millennia ago, the objectively tyrannical and self-destructive krogan government dissolved as the birthrate was reduced to almost nothing, breaking up into municipalities absorbed by the human, turian, asari, and salarian kingdoms.

The genophage had been a disgusting thing, an ugly stain in the history books. Something that Heleus politicians liked to throw in the Nexus's face whenever it came to making treaties and agreements.

'Look at how you treat your own people. Why should we deal with you?'

Perhaps this marriage would help the Nexus's image.

"I suppose you're doing a brave thing," Drack relented, "Damn foolish, in my opinion, but brave. I don't trust those Heleus types."

"Why?"

Drack grunted. "They're cagey and isolated. That makes them dangerous."

Sara shot back, "Like you?"

That drew a chuckle out of the krogan.

"Yeah, a bit. At least you probably ticked off a bunch of idiots at the Citadel with this. Makes it worth it in my book."

Drack hauled up a fresh dummy for her to dismember and she murmured her thanks.

Lunge forward, stab, twist.

"Have you ever been to Heleus?" Sara asked. The exertion was getting her, raising her heartrate, making it a little harder to talk.

Drack nodded.

"Yeah, on a few—ahem—less-than-legal supply runs back in the day. Lots of fun critters to kill. Angara also make some damn good weapons."

Okay, not exactly what Sara wanted to hear if someone was going to sell a trip to Heleus.

"Nice scenery?" she suggested.

"I wasn't looking. But yeah. Nature, ruins, all that shit. I'm sure Your Braininess will love it."

She smirked at the nickname.

"Thanks for stellar review of Heleus, Drack."

"No problem, kid."

Yeah, she really liked Drack. She was glad he was in Hyperion. He was more than happy to come with her when she went on Prothean digs.

To make sure some asshole assassin doesn't get any ideas, was his official excuse.

But, she knew it was out of friendship. And Alec wasn't going to protest to the idea of an experienced krogan warrior like Drack 'looking after her'.

Clan Nakmor didn't particularly like the idea of one of their own kowtowing to the human crown. But Drack didn't give a shit.

"I wonder if I'll be able to go on digs after I'm married."

"Maybe, kid. And maybe you'll get to dig some holes in Heleus. Find some nice shiny things that you've never seen before."

He stopped and winked conspiratorially.

"And we can sneak you out if we have to," Drack continued.

That was one way to think about it.

"I like the sound of that," Sara murmured.

Despite the tempting possibility of new discovery, she still didn't like the idea of her ability to study Prothean sites being in jeopardy. It was less her hobby and more like her life.

Dammit, stabbing things wasn't enough. Maybe she would need to take a trip to the shooting range and put some bullets in things.

She could challenge Drack into a contest that she would definitely lose.

"Sara!" a shout echoed through the space.

Sara sheathed her omniblade at the sound of her brother's voice. Before she knew it, Scott was in her arms, hugging her. Almost crushing her, in fact.

"Ah, Drack, do you mind?" Sara gasped.

The krogan didn't protest.

"I'll leave you, Your Highnesses."

Drack nodded and retreated. As soon as he was gone, Scott pulled away and looked her up and down, like he was expecting her to be wounded.

"I can't believe this is happening," he said.

Yeah, he received word. And he didn't take it well, if the hard line in his brow told Sara anything. What a surprise.

"Trust me, neither can I. But, if you think about it, it makes sense."

Scott shook his head vehemently.

"No. No, no, don't you go defend this. Don't defend our _father's_ asinine schemes."

Oh, boy. Here we go.

Alec never really treated them like a father ought to treat his children, even less so after their mother died, and both of them resented him to some degree. Of the two of them, Sara had the better relationship with Alec. It wasn't by much.

Whether it was because she was the elder, because she was heir, or just because Scott was the more rebellious and blustery of the two of them, she didn't know. All she knew was that Scott and Alec's relationship was strained, and that was putting it in the best of terms.

"But it _does_ make sense," Sara sighed, "The asari have refused and I'm the only one in this family who can have children with Jaal."

Scott sneered, "Jaal? Already calling him by his first name?"

Sara bristled.

Fucking hell, Scott seemed to be angrier about this than she was and he wasn't the one being married off.

"Don't be childish. The angara have been suffering since before we were born. This marriage could help them, maybe help end this war."

An arranged marriage to a man she didn't know, a member of a species that wasn't her own. A union to bridge two planets in something deeper than a military treaty or trade negotiation.

Something bigger than simply a husband and wife.

It was terrifying.

Scott sighed, "Come on, let's get out of the sun. You're sweating like crazy."

He punctuated the comment with an offer of his elbow.

The sudden change in mood should've given her whiplash, but she knew her brother and she knew this conversation wasn't over. Scott was reining in his anger so there wasn't a public shouting match.

They would continue this in private. And then start shouting at each other.

"It's called exercise," Sara said primly, taking his arm and letting him lead her back inside.

There were more whispers as they walked than usual. Still the respectful bows and nods. They were still prince and princess regardless the gossip.

Anticipation of visitors and an arranged marriage would definitely be major sources of gossip.

She glanced over at Scott as they walked.

His clothing—combat boots, t-shirt, cargo pants—told her he had just been hanging around the barracks. Scott found his niche, his place in the world, in the military. And he was good at it, probably one of the best human soldiers in Nexus.

Sara worried about him, of course. But he had friends to watch his back. And Sara wasn't bad with a knife and a gun. She had plenty of scraps with pirates and smugglers who tried infiltrating her digs. So, she'd be able to run to her brother's rescue if need be.

Scott nudged her when they got close to her quarters.

"You shower and stuff. I'll get some food made for us."

Sara didn't want to think about what kind of fuss her brother's presence in the kitchen would cause. It would be mostly because the prince just waltzed in asking for something and probably throwing everyone off of schedule.

"Alright, Scott. See you in a bit."

Sara shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

Shit. Well, this was happening. Scott was going to hound her about this until he gave his piece on why he thought this was a terrible idea.

He was always stubborn, hell, it was a family trait. The word could be emblazoned on the fucking family crest. House Ryder: Stubborn and Impulsive.

She would only delay the inevitable by telling him to go away.

The only consolation was that he was going to provide food while he railed on and on about the injustices that their king-father was putting them through.

 _Hooray_.

Sara stripped with tired hands, shuffling to her bathroom. She was sweaty and sticky, Scott was right about that. Totally princess-like.

The blast of hot water relaxed her tense muscles. She would boil herself in the water if she could. Just dissolve and disappear.

No, no, bad thoughts. She was doing something in service of her people. She couldn't be so selfish and run.

She washed her hair, scrubbing suds into brown locks with more force than probably necessary. Her nails scratched at her scalp, a bad habit that stuck since she was a child.

And it hurt when she did it, soreness curling around her knuckles. She must have been holding her omniblade too tightly. Out of anger for a situation she had no control over. She had a feeling she would see a lot of the training grounds between then and when Jaal arrived.

Let off steam and let the world pass her by as her inevitable fate got closer and closer.

Languid hands cleaned the rest of her body, not rushed. She imagined she could take her time. Scott would need some time to arrange whatever food he was planning on bringing.

The bathroom was full of steam and her skin was blushed from the heat by the time she turned off the water.

More time drying off and putting on some pajamas.

It was a stark, unpleasant realization that soon her privacy was going to be a rare thing.

She would likely have to share quarters with her new husband. When he was visiting, before the wedding, he would likely stay in the guest rooms. But, still.

She supposed her quarters were big enough for two. Enough living space, enough closet space, a big enough bathroom. The bed was certainly big enough for two.

Oh, no, she shouldn't think about that sort of thing.

Marriage leads to sex which leads to babies. That was how it worked.

With a sigh, she flopped on her bed.

Yeah, this was going to suck. Her life wasn't hers. Not that it was anything new.

"Yo, sis!" Scott shouted, thumping at the door, shaking Sara out of her reverie.

"Let yourself in," Sara called back, unwilling to get up from where she lay on her bed.

She glanced over at the sound of the door opening. Scott had changed from fatigues to loose pants and shirt. And he was carrying…

She was expecting two plates of actual food. Instead, Scott had a tray with two bottles of wine and a large plate of little cakes.

"Come on, time to eat and drink our feelings."

He toed off his shoes and sat on her bed next to her, setting the tray between them

" _Our_ feelings?" Sara asked.

"Hey, I have feelings too. Besides, I've been hoarding these bottles for a special occasion. And what better occasion than learning my twin sister is being married off to a random dude from another planet?"

Sara bit back a comment as he uncorked the first bottle and poured two glasses.

She took a sip—damn, it _was_ really good wine—and crammed one of the cakes in her mouth to delay the inevitable conversation with Scott.

This was nice, the two of them sitting on her bed, sharing wine and cake like they were children having a picnic.

"It might not be so bad."

Scott glanced over incredulously at the statement.

She took a gulp of wine and shrugged.

"He might be so busy with his own business that he will leave me alone entirely except for when we need to be together for…procreation," she suggested.

Scott made a disgusted noise at that.

"I really don't want to think about you having sex, thank you very much."

She glanced over at Scott.

"Like the three or six times I've walked into _you_ having sex?"

He reddened.

"Point."

Silence fell again.

Sara's thoughts still swirled.

She never held any serious illusions that she would get to marry someone of her choosing. She had her flings here and there before this, carefully chosen so she didn't cause a scandal by choosing a gossipy partner.

She blinked, telling herself that something was in her eye. She wasn't crying. She couldn't cry.

This was an honor. Marriages between Nexus and Heleus peoples were few and far between, but usually happy in their small numbers.

"I don't know a lot about the angara. I wish I had at least visited Heleus once before this."

Scott shrugged. "Heleus has their anti-Nexus groups. The Roekaar is the biggest one. I don't think Dad would've let us go for a flimsy reason."

Sara tried not to let fear knot up her stomach.

She hadn't really taken into account how unpopular this marriage would be in some groups. The conservative politicians, isolationists and species purists on both Nexus and Heleus would not be happy about this at all.

Of course, Alec did not and never had given a damn about the opinions who were resistant to progress. So, it was clear he didn't take those possible opinions into account before agreeing to Queen Sahuna's offer.

Sara forced some humor into her voice. "I bet the Roekaar all had a collective stroke at the news of the marriage."

Scott snickered, topping off his glass.

"A politically-sanctioned marriage between a human and an angara? Oh, I bet they're burning effigies of you and Prince Jaal as we speak. Ugly ones."

It was meant to be a joke, but the mirth of it all evaporated very quickly. Scott opened the second bottle in silence.

"Dad wouldn't have approved of this if I was in danger, like if Jaal was a member of the Roekaar or something," she murmured, "You know that."

Sara knew she had a point there and Scott knew it too. For all his faults, Alec would never directly cause his children harm.

"It's still bullshit," Scott said into his glass. To her relief, he sounded a bit more resigned. At least he wasn't spitting venom about Alec anymore.

"How could Dad do this to you?"

Oops, spoke too soon.

"He's a leader first, Scott," Sara mused. "It's not like this a brand-new side of him. It's for the good of the people."

That was what she kept reminding herself.

For the good of the people. That was what mattered.

"You're not suited for martyrdom, Sara. Just saying."

"I don't plan on being a martyr."

"Does anyone? No, don't answer that. I'm sure you have an example in that nerd brain of yours and I don't want to hear it."

She rolled her eyes. She really _didn't_ have an example on-hand and was too close to getting buzzed for wracking her brain to find one.

They finished the bottle—Scott taking the lion's share as usual—and the cakes in relative silence until Scott broke it with another quip.

"If this _Jaal_ hates you, it certainly won't be because you're ugly."

Sara rolled her eyes at that, really wishing she had saved another cake just to cram in his face.

Sure, she wasn't unattractive. She was sun-kissed and freckled, wiry from training and digging. And in preparation for events that required Sara actually sit down with her attendants to work their magic with makeup and hair and clothes, she could even be beautiful.

But being attractive to humans wasn't the same as being attractive to angara. She was almost sure of it, at least.

"Yep, I'm a catch," Sara deadpanned.

"A heartthrob," Scott drawled. "And, who knows? Maybe you just bagged yourself a fucking _dreamboat_ and he's everything a princess could ever desire."

"Wow, somebody is suddenly keen to this idea."

"I'm a little drunk, sis. I'm sure once I'm sober I'll take it all back."

Sara sighed, resigned. She really hoped he wasn't serious. If there was one person she wanted to have on her team, it was Scott.

…

 **All feedback is appreciated! 3**

 **Come say hi on my Tumblr tiaraofsapphires!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, so, in December 2017, my computer got corrupted and I lost almost 20k words of work regarding this project (including two completed chapters). So, that sucked, a lot, and shanked basically any motivation or morale I had in writing this story. So, updates will likely be pretty slow as I try to remember what the hell I had planned out.**

 **Also, I kinda graduated college so that was a thing. Research articles and lab reports killed me but I survived**

 **Thank you so much for the kind feedback. It is truly appreciated! Please do keep it up because losing those files sucked a lot of the life outta me…**

…

When Sara awoke the next day, tongue dry and head pounding ever-so-slightly, she almost forgot what happened the day before.

For a few sweet moments, she was the same person as she was. A princess trying to get as many opportunities to do research and publish as many articles as possible.

But reality crashed back almost instantly, like she had been dunked in a pool of ice water.

Right. Marriage to Jaal ama Darav. That was still happening. No amount of sleep was going to change that. Her life was going to change irrevocably.

She rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes with a sigh.

Scott had left in the early morning after falling asleep next to her. He patted her head before leaving, she remembered that much. She didn't know what he was doing but she imagined it must have been important. Military-types were always up at ungodly hours.

Inhale, exhale.

"Shit."

Sara really didn't know what to _do_. Check her emails was one thing, but it was too early for her deal with whatever political correspondence was likely to meet her. Probably everything to do with her upcoming marriage.

Her eyes found the window to find light streaming in. Actually, the entire room was bright with the sunlight that drifted in.

Looking at the clock told her that it was just past 11 in the morning.

" _Shit_."

On any other day, she would have been throwing herself out of bed in a panic to do the things she had planned on doing. Savor the last few days of freedom before Jaal and his party arrived. Before she officially became an engaged woman, a married woman,

But that urge wasn't there. None of the possible things she could have been doing were interesting or important enough to tempt her out of bed.

Sara exhaled loudly through her nose.

No, she would stay in bed as long as she could. And _then_ maybe talk to Liam or Peebee or someone later. Do something normal.

Silence followed and her mind drifted. Prothean symbols danced in her head.

Then there was a short, brusque knock at the door. Sara hoped she had imagined it, but then another knock rang out.

Sara sighed. She couldn't even be that surprised that someone would be bothering her.

"Who is it?" she called out.

The door opened a crack and Sam's head poked through.

"Ah, my lady, good morning," he greeted, endlessly calm and patient, dutifully ignoring the fact that Sara was a rumpled mess in her bed.

Sara squinted at the ceiling. Sam sounded way too cheerful to her liking.

"Morning, Sam. Something up?"

"You have a meeting, my lady," Sam said.

"I do?"

"Yes, with the ambassador from Aya. In case you are unfamiliar, it is a region in Heleus."

" _I do?_ "

"Yes. Your father arranged it. It makes sense for you to learn about your fiancé's culture before you meet him, yes?"

Sara's stomach sank and she didn't say anything. Sam was right, as usual. She knew next to nothing of angara culture, of Heleus, or of Havarl.

"Why can't you teach me?" Sara asked, unable to keep the plaintive tone out of her voice.

It was a good enough question. Sam, when not advising Alec, also taught her and Scott. He had been their unofficial tutor between formal schooling.

"I am sure I could, but your father insists."

Oh boy, the emphasis on 'your father' told her that this was not a request, but an order.

She stayed silent. Perhaps if she was quiet enough, he would think she was asleep and leave her alone.

Sam wasn't fooled. "My lady, _please_."

Sara groaned, entirely undignified. There was no getting out of this, just like her marriage to Jaal.

"Fine. Who, when, where?"

"Her name is Avela Kjar. The meeting is to take place in the south solarium in one hour."

Sara sat up, wincing as her head throbbed in response. "One hour?"

"Yes."

There was probably an email sent yesterday floating around somewhere in her inbox that informed her about this meeting. But she never checked. Serves her right, she supposed.

"Okay, fine. I'll get ready."

"Very good, my lady."

The door clicked shut almost silently, and Sara was alone again.

"Fuck," she groaned, hauling herself out of bed.

Her entire body protested the movement, but she shuffled to her bathroom anyway.

The workout and the hangover did dual-pains to head and muscles. But she supposed it was only fair.

Her shower was brief as could be, cleaning up just enough that she didn't look and smell like a total un-princess-like slob.

Hair was pulled back into a ponytail, face made-up enough to hide the sleepy splotches and shadows under her eyes.

This wasn't a meeting that required all the ritz as her eventual first meeting with Jaal would, but she put on nice slacks and a blouse.

They would likely put her in a gown to meet him, with jewels and bright fabrics.

In another time, they probably would have decked her out in the full splendor the throne could offer and immediately sent her off to her new husband. But this was supposed to be a courtship, something that looked like love.

It wasn't love. This was a distraction while military and commerce treaties were negotiated.

She would get to know her fiancé, as much as possible. There were only a few circumstances where she would be compelled to call-off the whole arrangement and those were quite unlikely.

Sara brushed herself off and walked down the halls to the south solarium.

The two human guards at the door nodded in respect at her approach and opened the door for her.

She had an ambivalent relationship with that room.

The tall windows let the light in and showed off the gardens. It was where Queen Ellen read to her children, where she sat reading as her body slowly wasted away. Her portrait sat above the fireplace and Sara could not let her eyes wander to where her mother's image watched over the room.

It was spring now, years later, and things were brighter, but Sara couldn't help but feel a bit cold.

She moved further into the room, and her eyes found her visitor. The female angara sat at a small table, her back to Sara.

Sara thought maybe to clear her throat to get her attention, but before her body could catch up with the thought, she stepped into Avela's view.

Avela started almost violently.

"Your Highness!"

Avela stood sharply, one knee banging loudly against the table, the sound making them both flinch.

"Ah, my apologies," Avela said, bowing in apology. Her purple-pink skin was slightly flushed with embarrassment.

Sara shook her head, rushing to mend the situation. Of course, she'd muck this up within moments of meeting the woman.

"Please don't apologize. Are you okay?"

Avela waved dismissively. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

They paused and Sara decided that she was going to start their first meeting over again.

Sara bowed her head slightly in respect. "Ambassador Kjar, thank you for meeting with me at such short notice."

Avela bowed back. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess Sara. I offer my heartfelt congratulations on your engagement."

Sara forced herself to smile. Avela looked genuinely happy for her and she couldn't bear bursting that bubble. Plus, it would probably get back to Jaal if Sara was openly dejected and unenthusiastic about the whole arrangement.

"Please, have a seat. I have a feeling we have a lot to talk about."

Interspecies meetings like this always tended to be awkward. Sara had anticipated as much the moment she walked in the room.

"I'm sure you are aware that your father wanted me to meet with you. He had me whisked away from the embassy to get me to you as soon as possible."

Sara nodded.

"Prince Jaal and his party will be here in 2 days. We don't have a lot of time."

 _She_ didn't have a lot of time. Fucking hell, he was going to be very real and very real in 3 days. No longer a distant concept.

Avela's brow scrunched, suddenly serious.

"Oh yes. Since this is a quite unconventional occurrence, it is of utmost importance that proper etiquette is in place. We wouldn't want an embarrassing incident to occur the first day you and your fiancé meet!"

She was being very cheerful. Sara wasn't sure if it was for her own personal comfort or if Avela actually was optimistic that success was inevitable.

Instead, Sara smiled wanly.

"No. No we wouldn't."

Avela pulled out a datapad and set in on the table.

"We can use this later. But, is there anything that you want to ask me first?"

Lightly drumming her fingers against the tabletop, Sara looked at Avela blankly, brain struggling to catch up.

Damn, Sara really should have thought more about what she was going to say while she was in the shower.

"I suppose basics would be best?"

Avela nodded.

Taking that as her cue to continue, Sara asked, "So, what's going to happen when I actually meet him? Forgive me, I am not exactly familiar with angaran traditions."

Avela's answer was immediate, like she had the answer rehearsed in her head. "The standard human greeting is appropriate, the exchange of bows. But you will also touch your outer arm to his, like this."

She stretched out her arm towards Sara, fist closed. Sara mimicked the motion and Avela pressed her outer arm to hers.

The angara's skin was warm and smooth. Sara supposed her fiancé would be the same.

"Like that?" Sara asked.

"Exactly like that."

Avela took her hand away, clearly satisfied with Sara's form.

Sara rested her arm back on the table, glancing down at her knuckles. "What happens if our inner arms touch?" she asked. "Is it an insult? In case I slip. Because there's a non-zero chance that it could happen."

Avela paused. She didn't look scandalized, to Sara's relief.

"Honestly, it _is_ more familiar. Definitely not something you should be doing at the first meeting, but not completely inappropriate."

Sara filed that piece of information. It made sense, she supposed. Everyone knew that angara were often physical in their interactions. Hearty embraces and play-fighting were staples among fellow angara, but it often translated oddly to the Nexus species, who were often more physically restrained and took gestures that implied fighting as actual fighting.

"Fair enough. Thank you for letting me know."

Avela nodded with a grin.

"Of course, my purpose is to streamline this process, make sure the beginning of your knowing each other is as comfortable as possible."

"Considering the circumstances," Sara murmured.

"Yes, considering the circumstances. Admittedly, arranged marriages are uncommon in Heleus, as they are in Nexus. But, Prince Jaal is a good man. Not riddled with scandal. He will be a good husband."

Avela sounded very optimistic.

"Do you know the prince?" Sara asked.

"Not personally. I have met him at the occasional banquet in Aya. But he has always struck me as kind and loyal to those he loves."

"Good qualities to have."

"Oh yes. He is very popular amongst our military forces. Prince Jaal has put himself in harm's way in the name of protecting his people at the front lines, despite the kett targeting him for his position."

Sara was struck with a sudden guilt. She was marrying a war hero, while she only had training in war and martial arts. Sure, for a human she was remarkably skilled, but she was sure it would be nothing in light of Jaal's experiences.

As more of an intellectual than a warrior, she was going to look so naïve to him. Would he respect her as an equal?

"And he is very handsome!" Avela exclaimed, startling Sara from her thoughts. "Oh, dozens of broken hearts when the engagement was announced!"

Sara smiled politely, not sure what else to do.

She had seen images of him: static stills and clips of holocast pieces. She honestly didn't know what to think of him. He definitely was a male angara, no doubt about that, and angara weren't unattractive by any means. But Sara didn't know how to feel.

There was only so much to be figured out from a simple picture.

But it mattered little. An arranged marriage was an arranged marriage, no matter what the respective parties looked like.

A servant approached the table with a tray of tea and crackers and the conversation stalled. Avela immediately tackled the crackers and little slices of deli meats, while Sara picked at the cheeses.

This was going...well? Sara was pretty sure the meeting wasn't crashing and burning. But her interactions with angara were few and far between. She could be shoving her foot in her mouth and Avela could just be quietly weathering her impoliteness.

"I'm really out of my depth here, Avela."

"That is understandable. But I am sure you would have needed a similar meeting if you were engaged to another Nexus species."

"True, but I am more familiar with, say, turians or asari."

"There are still differences, regardless," Avela gently reminded, "Things you would need to learn and be intimately familiar with to make a marriage work. So, there is little difference."

"Just a lot more information," Sara mumbled.

"Do not worry yourself, Princess Sara. There are plenty of resources at the consulate and I am simply an email away. It would serve you well to learn as much as you can in preparation for a visit to Heleus."

Sara froze. "A v—visit?"

"Of course! By your marriage you will also become a princess of Havarl. The first human princess, but you will be royalty all the same!"

Despite the cold icicle of dread that wedged in Sara's chest, she had to admit that what Avela was saying made sense.

Jaal was coming to Hyperion to visit, expected to become a prince of Hyperion by marriage. It would only be fair that she would visit Heleus and Havarl, as a princess by marriage.

Avela continued, "Heleus is a beautiful planet. Havarl, while a bit dangerous with the war with the kett, is full of wildlife and ancestral ruins."

Avela sounded like Drack, albeit less gruff and more enthusiastic. Sara almost wanted to laugh, but she also knew that Avela would probably not understand the joke.

"Sounds like my kind of place," Sara admitted, part to reassure Avela and part to convince herself. "I would love to see the ancient architecture."

Avela pulled out a datapad, displaying several pictures. Huge forests with tall trees, starry nights illuminated by the moon. The glossy black-green stone with glowing grooves that traced through it. Non-random patterns, perhaps something translatable.

"Maybe there's some connection to the Prothean," Sara murmured.

"Ah, yes, I understand that is your area of study. There would be plenty like that to see on Heleus."

Sara nodded, tapping her fingers against the table.

"You are really selling me on this, Avela Kjar," Sara laughed.

Avela grinned. "Good, I was hoping to have made an impact. It is good for the couple to have a mutual understand of the other's culture."

"Prince Jaal will have a similar talk?"

"Oh yes. The Hyperion consulate will likely have sent a representative or will have made contact on their ship. Jaal has never been to Hyperion or Nexus."

"Never had a reason to?"

"After Prince Jaal's father, the honorable King Arsho, was killed in a kett attack years ago, I suspect he felt he was of more use at home, protecting his people. Prince Jaal had barely come of age when Arsho died. It was a tragedy."

"I guess Jaal and I have something in common," Sara sighed.

"A dubious honor indeed," Avela agreed. "But, Queen Sahuna fit into her role seamlessly. She is much loved by her people."

Just like Queen Ellen. Only…past tense, not present. Sara instinctively glanced at the portrait that sat across the room.

Not for the first time, Sara wondered if Ellen would be proud of her choice. While Ellen was not exactly an overbearing mother, she still made it a point to make sure that her children were treated right.

She would likely have conducted a full background check on Prince Jaal ama Darav before Alec had even considered agreeing to the proposal.

"I can't wait to meet her."

They talked about minutiae, what angara liked and disliked, each little fact carefully filed away.

Some things she was bound to forget, because she was Sara and while she considered herself an intellectual, little facts sometimes just flitted out of her head.

Hopefully, none of the things she inevitably forgot about were things she could be gently reminded of without causing an interplanetary scandal or faux pas.

Sara stood and Avela mimicked the motion, signaling the end of the meeting.

"Well, Avela, thank you so much for your help," Sara said, "You've done me a huge favor."

Avela bowed and Sara nodded in return.

"It was my pleasure. As I said before, feel free to send me a message if you have any questions," Avela said.

The two women walked to Avela's transport, side-by-side.

"I will probably take you up on that offer."

…

One of the things Alec had insisted on was that his children do not have secretaries.

Most of the reason for it was likely his paranoid-bastardness coming through. But the rest of it was so his children knew how to rule, how to communicate with people. Not have someone else sign and make decisions for them.

There was a filter, of course. Some of the more inane and irrelevant messages were forwarded to the proper advisor or liaison or tossed out entirely. But those where few and far between.

The whole 'duty' of checking and responding to emails was something she neglected even when there _was_ something worth emailing over. But she had to at least check her emails, before Sam, or worse, her father, scolded her into doing it.

Now, looking at a notification screen that had an email count that reached over a hundred, Sara really wished she had insisted on having someone to read her emails for her. Filled to the brim with messages of varying formality, all sent within the last day. To be expected, of course.

There was no secretary or advisor to answer on her behalf, because all of these were addressed to her, pertaining to her wedding.

Fuck. This was going to take forever.

At least, the algorithm also listed the messages in order of importance The respective crowns of Natanus, Leusinia, and Paarchero had their offerings of congratulations, all nestled at the top. She would read those later.

A subject line in all capital letters caught her eye around the middle of the list. ' _WHAT DID YOU DO?_ ' it said.

Sara's lips quirked up. Of course, Peebee would have been taken aback from this announcement, since they both talked about their romantic lives and lack thereof during the lulls in their research. Sara had never mentioned wanting to get married. She was content with her research until the right person came along.

Someone did come along.

Sara opened the message to a block of text.

 _YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO MISS. HOW WHY WHAT WHERE WHO? HOW COULD YOU MAKE THIS DECISION AND NOT TELL ME AHEAD OF TIME. YOU BETTER ANSWER SOON OR I WILL BREAK DOWN THE FRONT DOOR OF YOUR FANCY HOUSE AND GET ANSWERS FOR MYSELF. ~PB_

Yeah, she was expecting that kind of response.

The email below it had her smile evaporating instantly.

Her favorite salarian representative, Jarun Tann.

Of course, the politicians of the Citadel were obliged to offer congratulations, no matter what their feelings on the matter were. Sara was willing to bet that over half of them would disapprove of the match and of the whole affair in general.

She opened the email, half expecting a blizzard of cold disapproval.

 _YRH Princess Sara,  
Please contact me at your earliest convenience.  
Sincerely,  
Representative Jarun Tann, Nexus Citadel_

Sara felt her lip curl.

Tann was a slimy politician, the worst of his kind, and that was putting it _kindly_. She didn't want to talk to him. Hell, she didn't even want to look at him.

She looked down at herself and figured that she looked good enough to contact Tann without him having an opportunity to make a jab at her state of dress.

Might as well get it over with.

She tapped at her vid-con, patching her to Tann's office.

A salarian, but not Tann, answered the call.

"Ah, Princess Sara." The female salarian bowed deeply. "Representative Tann has been expecting your call. Please wait."

The image blinked out, but the line was still active.

Sara internally seethed. Of course, she was put on hold. It was more than likely she was put on hold just because Tann was feeling spiteful. Make the human wait.

Hilarious.

It took a moment, before Tann's image appeared. Sara straightened, staring him dead in the face.

"Princess Sara."

Tann bowed as little as he could manage without being outwardly rude.

Sara smiled, syrupy sweet.

"Representative Tann. I am glad to see you are in good health. Does my father know you wished to contact me?"

Alec had made it clear that he didn't want the Citadel politicians anywhere near his children.

Tann sniffed. "I wished to speak with you directly, Your Highness."

He was clearly annoyed with the whole idea.

"To offer your congratulations on my engagement, yes?" Sara asked, putting at air of false cluelessness.

Tann sniffed again, back straight as a board.

"I wished to make my disagreement with the whole idea known. Your father would likely not hear me. I saw it best to speak with you, since you are the one who is to _marry_."

"Can't imagine why you would disagree. As I understand it, Nexus and Heleus need to be united now more than ever. It may be only a matter of time before the kett come here."

"Which is why I believe the two planets should be as separated from each other as possible. We cannot risk the kett sneaking into Nexus along with any of the angara."

Sara clenched one hand into a fist and purposefully let it relax.

"Sounds like those are concerns you should present to the Council, not to me."

Tann barreled on, as if she hadn't spoken. He scoffed, "The heir-apparent to the humans marrying an _angara_ princeling who isn't even first-in-line of his kingdom. Your little arrangement is most distasteful."

Sara didn't like the way he said 'angara'. It sounded an awful lot like whenever krogans were brought up in conversation.

Tann hated the krogans and if he had his way they would be out of any leadership position. But Nakmor Kesh was popular as could be and she wasn't going _anywhere_.

Her lips turned up, icy cold.

"Thank you for telling me, Representative Tann. However, I won't be taking your advice. I will do what is best for Hyperion and, by extension, Nexus. This marriage will happen."

She wasn't sure why she was insisting, as her heart had been full of hesitation. But to see that smug look fade from Tann's face with every word she spoke was almost addictive.

Tann glared at her, all pretense of civility lost.

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"It will happen, whether you like it or not," Sara concluded, leaning forward to disconnect the call.

The satisfaction of watching Tann's face wink out of existence mid-word quickly evaporated.

Tann was a thorn in Hyperion's side since he was appointed to office. He would be back, maybe not contacting her directly, but still making this as difficult as possible for her.

But she couldn't bring herself to care.

…

 **Whoop whoop!**

 **All feedback is appreciated! I am trying to work on as much stuff as possible over the summer, so each and every comment helps with motivation!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the kind feedback! It's much appreciated!**

 **Just as a note, I am soon going to be between jobs so that could either mean more time for writing or less as I try to apply and interview. Hopefully I can do more writing though!**

…

"If you say something anywhere close to 'I can't believe this is happening', I'm leaving."

Liam's mouth closed with a click, followed by a sheepish grin.

"Ah, congratulations?" he offered.

Sara nodded.

"Better."

They stood in silence for a moment in the space halfway between the palace and the squat building that held most of the administrative offices, under the shade of one of the trees that lined the stone path.

"Want a beer? My office?" Liam asked, gesturing behind him.

It was barely eleven in the morning, Sara internally noted.

That fact had little to do with her final decision, which she stated with a shrug: "Sure. Lead the way."

The trip was short and aside from one of Liam's subordinates, who looked _very_ nervous to not only be talking to her commanding officer but also standing in the presence of the crown princess, nobody bothered them.

Inside the office, Liam had his grubby couch, a strange juxtaposition to the plain-looking desk covered in knick-knacks and picture frames.

He dug out two bottles from a mini-fridge and handed one over to Sara. They flopped down on the couch, each occupying one of the ends.

"To your health," Liam said, raising his bottle.

Sara raised hers in return. "And yours."

They both took healthy swigs, quiet for a moment.

Under any other circumstances, this would have been a major breach of protocol. A princess and the palace's head of security drinking in private. Sure, Liam was attractive and sure they may have kissed one or two times while super inebriated, but there wasn't anything outside of a close friendship.

There was still the risk. Sara was princess no matter what. Liam could lose his job.

"Your father has informed me that the angaran party will be here tomorrow afternoon," Liam said.

Sara nodded with a bitter smile.

"Might as well relish my freedom while it lasts, right?"

Liam sipped at his beer and shook his head.

"Honestly, I can't believe this is happening. Never in a million years would I think your father the King would arrange a marriage, much less you accepting."

"I guess. Never say never, right?"

In reality, Sara had known it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. The fact that she was engaged to a member of a Heleus royal family instead of one of the 3 other Nexus kingdoms, well, that was a bit more unexpected.

But, she'll be fine, right?

"At least that puts you off of the market," Liam suggested, wincing in sympathy. "You won't get pursued by some senator or senator's kid."

"Now they can chase Scott, I guess."

Liam snorted just a bit too loudly into his beer and Sara gave him a questioning look. He dutifully kept his gaze away from hers, but Sara stared at him long enough until it was clear he wasn't going to get away with not speaking what was on his mind.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "So, uh, ever heard of Reyes Vidal?"

Sara blinked.

"No, why? Who is he?"

Liam tapped the butt of his bottle against his palm once, twice, before taking another swig. Nervous tic. Whatever he was about to say must have been juicy. "A pilot in the Royal Air Force. Damn good one too."

"And?"

"Well, I saw him and your brother fooling between two of the barracks a couple days ago," Liam explained. "I'm pretty sure I was the only one who saw, but if I can't be sure."

Sara blinked at the information and then sighed.

"Should I be worried?" she asked.

Liam cringed.

"Well, his file says he's a kid from a poor, drug-addled family, made it big in the Academy. Has connections to Kadara, but, really, with the records his mother had, it's not surprising. But aside from a few brawls before he was officially an officer, his record is clean."

Sara filed that away for later. Kadara was a rogue state that only still existed because none of the four legitimate kingdoms wanted to do anything about it, especially with its burgeoning markets and the growing angara refugee population.

The de facto leader, their so-called 'queen', Sloane Kelly, did enough to make sure that a multi-planet diplomatic crisis didn't come to her doorstep, but still Kadara was a house of black markets and fugitives.

Sara shuddered at the thought of Prince Jaal wanting to take a trip there to meet his displaced people.

Liam steered the subject away to something a bit more pressing. "Let me tell you, this whole marriage thing is definitely a pain in my ass," he griped.

Sara rolled her eyes.

"Oh really? A pain in _your_ ass? Please, tell me more."

Liam grinned apologetically.

"Well, it definitely leaves my work cut out for me. I've already exchanged some communiques with the angara head of security."

"Expecting trouble?"

"Oh, I'm _always_ expecting trouble. Especially with an angara royal, with that war going on."

The war with the kett, right. Something that had been a point of nervousness for Sara. While the likelihood of a kett attack in response to the engagement was slim-to-none, it was still possible for a slip-up, for one or two to get around the various militias just outside the planet's atmosphere.

Fear for herself, but also some disjointed sense of fear also for the man who was to be her husband. She told herself it was for a perfectly practical reason, for the sake of an alliance.

"The angara are bringing their A-game, that's for sure," Liam continued, "Over a dozen light craft are accompanying the prince's ship. They wouldn't give me exact specifics on how many are on board the ship, but odds are there's plenty of militia."

More mouths to feed, as Drack would complain, as if there wasn't an abundance of food at the palace at all times.

Sara nodded.

"I suppose we both will have plenty to do when they arrive."

Liam had to make sure nobody died.

Sara had to forge some kind of relationship with her betrothed and make sure Alec's plan—whether it extended beyond this marriage, Sara could only imagine—was carried out.

The jobs weren't _exactly_ on equal footing, but still.

"You'll be fine. You've been through worse and came out on top."

In another life, Sara would have made a dirty quip about that.

Instead, the joke died a quick death on her tongue and her eyes glazed over the threadbare and lightly stained cloth of the couch.

"I guess so," she muttered.

She started at the feeling of Liam gently kicking her knee.

"Hey, chin up. I know you're not happy and you have every right to be, but, hey, to new adventures. Think of it like that."

Their bottles clinked softly and Sara tried to swallow that fanciful notion of adventure along with the lump in her throat.

…

Having two attendants yanking at her hair and brushing at her face and rummaging through her closet was Sara's idea.

One, she didn't trust herself to properly dress herself for the occasion without forgetting something of great importance.

Two, she really didn't want to be alone, especially while she was hunched in her chair in only her bra and underwear. Her mind would have been allowed to wander and spiral. Hard for that to happened when there were people right in her face.

"You said the blue one hanging near the mirror?" Nohemi called out from the closet.

Sara answered, "Yeah, the blue one."

Ellen should have been the one to cluck and poke at her. She had done enough of that when Sara was younger, but as Ellen's health failed Sara was often left to do her own dressing and makeup in preparation for events.

The thought was like a knife through the chest and, not for the first time that day, Sara blinked back a few tears.

The two attendants had been called in the day before, Nohemi and Corrin. Both had been in the palace before, both had met Sara before. A gala here, a banquet there.

Were they friends? No, not really. But there was still some companionable air around them as Nohemi dug through her closet to find what Sara had laid out the night before and Corrin painstakingly painted her face and styled her hair.

Corrin had pulled up Sara's hair into a fancy bun, in anticipation of the tiara that sat in its box on the table would soon be set on Sara's head

Sara, despite her nervousness, kept her hands firmly clasped in her lap, letting Corrin do whatever they wanted to her.

They were barely a few hours away from when the angara would touch down on the landing pad in the palace.

She already knew what the plan was. She would introduce herself first, with her father and Scott watching. There would be some Hyperion dignitaries and officials there as well, along with Liam and Drack.

No press, but a bot would be there to record and eventually broadcast the first meeting to whoever deigned to listen.

Dolled up to meet her fiancé, if he would have her. It was still not guaranteed. He could touch down, take one look at her, turn around, and head back to Heleus. And, boy, _that_ would be a serious blow to her pride.

Sara started almost violently as suddenly Corrin's face got almost uncomfortably close as they applied something to Sara's face.

"You have really pretty eyes, milady," Corrin mused, managing to sound both flippant and serious.

"Thanks," Sara replied.

At least it wasn't patronizing. Sara was pretty sure she'd snap and throw them both out of her room if they were overtly patronizing.

She dealt enough with that stuff as is, something she came to hate after her mother had died. The overdramatic and obviously insincere condolences eventually ground down at her nerves.

She was making a potential sacrifice of her own happiness and future for the sake of Hyperion and Nexus and Heleus.

Corrin plucked and painted until they were satisfied and Sara could not argue with them. Looking at the small mirror on the desk, she saw that her face looked bright and not sleep-deprived, the layers heavy enough to do their job but light enough that she didn't look like a caricatured doll.

As if on cue, Nohemi set the shoes down and hung up the dress on a hook near the standing mirror.

Sara didn't need help with the shoes, though her hands still fumbled with the straps on the black heels.

"Are you nervous?" Nohemi asked, as the two attendants watched her. "I would be too, but I've heard angara are the best species to get with, if you pardon my language."

Corrin sputtered a laugh while Nohemi shrugged.

"How so?" Sara asked, looking up from the straps of her shoes.

Both seemed to struggle for words. Apparently, they had more contact with angara than she did.

"They feel," Nohemi said, wincing when the words seemed to fall flat of what she hoped to say. "They feel a lot, both physically and emotionally. I hear it can be kind of off-putting, but it is what it is."

Corrin nodded, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, yeah, that sounds about right, now that you mention it. Like, they play-fight and hug, a lot. They usually don't do that to other species, but hey, if you're into that."

Sara shrugged, looking back down at her shoes as she did the clasps on the second heel.

"I doubt I'm gonna get a high-five or a playful punch on the shoulder when I meet him."

"That would be something!" Nohemi exclaimed.

The pure ridiculousness of the idea made all three of them laugh.

With the makeup done, it was time for the clothes.

Avela had mentioned that angara preferred cool colors, like blue and purple. So, Sara chose a dark blue dress, though the shade was just light enough that it didn't look dour and funeral-like.

Sara stepped into the dress and Nohemi closed the zip in the back. The cloth hugged her body, cut so she looked curvier than she actually was.

Finally, the tiara, delicate and fashioned in silver and emeralds, was placed on her head.

She was ready, and looking into the mirror, she looked ready. But, she couldn't help but feel a bit ambivalent, with the butterflies in her stomach. What little she had to eat the hours beforehand tossed and turned and Sara wasn't sure if she wanted to be sick or just simply faint away.

And then she immediately kicked herself for being overdramatic.

"I think if he isn't attracted to you the moment he sees you, he is a fool," Corrin said.

Nohemi chirped almost instantly, "And if he isn't, give it time!"

Attraction was part of the point of this, but Sara couldn't help but feel just a teeny bit more confident looking at herself in the mirror with the compliments. Nohemi and Corrin were not simpering sycophants and Sara wouldn't have let them stay around her if they were.

"Thank you. Both of you," she said, entirely serious.

As the three parted ways, Sara made a note to pay each of them double for their services.

…

In the walk between her room and where she was to meet with the rest of the welcoming party, Sara mentally poured steel into her spine.

Her heels weren't too uncomfortable and she still felt very pretty, so, at least she had that going for her.

She noticed how anyone she passed fell silent, in a mix of pity and reverence.

Everyone could probably figure that she didn't want to do this, but it was honorable that she was doing it anyway.

Under a shaded awning not far from the landing pad, a group of people had assembled.

Drack was the first person Sara approached. He was still in his usual armor, though it looked polished. His arms crossed over a broad chest and he nodded when he caught Sara's eye.

Liam stood in full dress-uniform, looking very sharp and decorated. He offered her a small smile, hidden behind a respectful salute.

Cora, Alec's head of military and liaison with the asari, regarded her aloofly. She stood amongst a small group of palace officials and an angara. Sara guessed the angara woman was there in case the translators broke and there was need for an interpreter.

Sam, in a carefully groomed suit, regarded her with soft eyes, though his mouth didn't smile.

Scott and Alec were conspicuously avoiding each other, Scott's back to Alec. Both were wearing tailored suits.

Alec didn't wear the crown jewels, but that wasn't unusual. He hated wearing the crown and liked to rely on his air and posture and reputation to do the talking.

"You look lovely, Sara."

She tried not to look too shocked at the compliment. Compliments from Alec were very few and very far between.

And even then, Sara couldn't help but mentally replace the compliment for 'Thanks for staying on board with this plan'.

Scott exhaled in a huff.

"Pretty words for someone who's selling off their daughter to the highest bidder," Scott grumbled.

Alec opened his mouth to probably snap at Scott when Sara interjected, "Can we please get along?"

This was a reflex at this point: stepping between her brother and father before they got into a shouting match.

Fuck, they hadn't even made it to the landing platform and already Sara wanted to toss herself off the tallest point in the palace.

Alec offered his arm and tentatively Sara took it.

"The angara assembly will be here shortly," Alec announced. "We shall meet them on the platform."

Something everyone knew, the second to last death knell to Sara's normal life.

The final would come when the ship touched down. And the beginning when Sara and Jaal would meet for the first time.

Alec and Sara started forward, and the rest fell in line.

…

 **Yeet!**

 **Any and all feedback is appreciated!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much for all of the feedback! I appreciate it very much 3! Please keep it up! It is definitely a motivation for me to keep working on this story!**

 **Especially since I'm in unemployed/looking-for-job hell :D**

 **Enjoy!**

…

And they waited.

Alec stood by her, the rest of them milling around. Scott tried to make small talk with Cora, who only exchanged a few words before returning to shifting from one foot to the other, without a word.

A few guards had followed and stood by the doorway.

"You will be fine," Alec said, suddenly.

Sara turned to him. "I know I will. Representative Kjar had told me everything I needed to know."

"Good."

Silence again, Sara turning back to face forward. Scott scoffed, just loud enough to be barely audible. Liam leaned over and muttered something that made Scott laugh.

"Your mother would be proud of you," Alec added, nudging her so Sara would look at him again.

The softness was put-on, fake-sounding.

She let the floodgate of emotion open just a hint, just enough. "I doubt Mom would've let this happen."

Softness, fake or not, disappeared. Pragmatism appeared, what she was used to. "She would have done what was best for our people. You know that."

Bitterness settled in her stomach and she swallowed a sharp remark. Floodgates closed again.

"I suppose you're right," she muttered.

He was. In her heart, she knew he was right. It still hurt, thorns and stones and fire in her chest.

She cleared her throat, only to choke on a gasp as the angara ship appeared in the distance. She could tell, the shape was unlike the Hyperion crafts or anything from Nexus.

"He's here," Sara whispered, her own voice surprising her.

She swayed ever so slightly, almost wishing she could faint away on the spot.

He was here. He was actually here.

This was real.

Well, it was going to be _really_ real once she sees him in person.

The large ship was surrounded by both smaller Hyperion and angaran ships. Clearly, they were there to make sure the royal party landed without any mess or incident.

The ship circled once, twice, getting lower and lower and closer and closer each time. The engine roared loud enough that it almost hurt.

The ship was large, fairly nondescript. Large enough to comfortably house a group for an interplanetary journey.

The engine was powerful, enough that the wind from the ship ruffled Sara's dress and sent a chill over her skin.

She was too warm and too cold. Her hands were shaking and she wiped them on her dress. She was thankful she made sure to wear perfume or else her fiancé would likely be able to smell the nerves on her.

Glancing at Alec, she saw he was resolutely staring forward. Without a doubt, already strategizing what to say, who to speak to. The greetings, the preliminary plans that would be eventually arranged and solidified in meetings with the Citadel officials.

Sara couldn't think too hard on that. She instead thought of her part to play.

Greet, both in her way and his way. Make him like her, or at least tolerate her.

Her breathing felt to loud in her ears, though it was almost drowned out by the engines.

Finally, the ship landed, engines dying down to silence. The birds that had gone quiet started chirping again.

The ramp lowered with a hiss and a creak and a thud.

Sara sucked in a breath. Shaking, light-headed. But steeled, steel in her bones.

At first, nothing happened, and Sara wondered if there was something she was supposed to do to get Jaal to come out of the ship.

Four angara stepped out first, all armed and in similar clothing, none she recognized. Sara couldn't help but stiffen a bit, an irrational part of her thinking that they were about to attack. Instead, one pair only took a few steps out of the ship and stood by the opening, while the second pair stopped at the bottom of the ramp at attention. Guards, of course.

Sara stayed by her father, watching the border where the sunshine bearing down turned to shadow inside the ship.

Movement inside the ship, figures shifting slightly in and out, not fully stepping out.

Finally, an angara, different than the others, stepped into the light and Sara immediately recognized him as her fiancé.

Alec nudged her and she started forward, dividing her attention between watching the figures coming down the ramp and making sure she put one foot in front of the other.

Prince Jaal ama Darav walked down the ramp with a sure gait. He was dressed like royalty, a deep-purple rofjinn—at least she was pretty sure that's what Avela had called it—draped over his left shoulder. It complemented the purple of his skin and was lined with silvery fabric that glinted in the light.

Another angara followed him, this one leaner, blue-skinned, and looking like he would rather be anywhere else but here. That particular angara wore something akin to formal military dress, if the bits of metal pinned to him, the suit like what Jaal was wearing under his rofjinn.

The blue angara stopped at the end of the ramp while Jaal continued forward to meet Sara. As he got closer, Sara could appreciate the smaller details.

Silver piercings lined his right brow, a juxtaposition to the scarred-over gash in his right headtail.

A web of fine silver chained draped over his head, studded with tiny blue stones that caught the sunlight. Strapped to his back was a large rifle, gilded in what seemed to be a ceremonial design but likely still fully functional and could blow a hole in something.

Though his expression was serious, his eyes had stars in them.

He was… _striking_.

They met halfway, between the crowd of humans and where the ramp met the ground, still with a fair amount of space between them.

Sara bowed, watching him through her eyelashes. He was a whole head taller than her, just entirely more massive than her.

"Welcome to Nexus and Hyperion, Prince Jaal," Sara said, mentally cheering when her voice remained steady.

Jaal bowed back, similarly watching her. She wondered what he saw, what he thought of her. She wondered why she was suddenly so concerned about that.

"Thank you for hosting us, Princess Sara. Especially at such short notice."

His accent curled over the words and Sara suppressed a shiver.

She smiled. "You're the one who travelled all the way over here to meet me— _us_. So, I should be thanking you."

It looked like he contemplated her words for a moment before his lips twitched in a smile in return.

"I suppose so."

He reached out his arm, hand closed in a fist, just as Avela had said he would.

Sara knew exactly what she was expected to do. But there had been something she wanted to do, something that she had been imagining, practicing in her head.

Avela had told her it wasn't something she should be doing. And yet.

And yet, standing in front of Jaal...

This was a bad idea. And, well, Sara was full of bad ideas.

She stepped a little closer, so it wasn't a stretch.

Yeah, Jaal definitely did tower at least a head over hers. He had muscular arms. Not as many fingers as her, but still had a big fist.

She reached out in return, closing her hand in a fist.

Then, she touched the inside of her arm to the inside of his.

Jaal's eyes widened minutely, his brow lifting in surprise.

More intimate, familiar. They had just met and yet, she still did it. He didn't recoil and sniff at her rudeness, which she took as a victory.

If this was going to work, they needed to be familiar with each other, two halves of a whole. It had to work. She was firm in that notion now.

They stayed like that for a moment, without words

Just before she could think to pull away, Jaal pulled his arm back and caught her hand in his. The motion was smooth, almost practiced.

Her hand was in his, almost dwarfed by its size. Sara watched as he stooped down and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. His lips were smooth and warm, the distant part of Sara's brain that wasn't screaming noted.

 _He was kissing her hand like a prince out of some romance novel what the f—_

He released her hand and stepped back, the moment made and broken within seconds.

Sara's hand hovered in the air a second too long before she thought to bring it back down to her side. It felt like it was on fire. Forget her hand, her _face_ felt like it was on fire. And she did deserve it, in a way. he was just as flexible as she was.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to grin at the idea or shudder, but instead backed up half a step as Alec came up behind her.

"Welcome Prince Jaal," Alec said.

Jaal bowed as Alec dipped his head.

Scott took it as his cue to introduce himself, with the customary exchange of bows and all.

"It's an honor to find someone who is willing to put up with my sister," Scott added with a grin.

Sara wished she was close enough to whack Scott but settled for a death glare while Jaal looked on politely.

Jaal gestured to the man behind her, who stepped forward to his side.

"May I introduce Evfra de Tarshaav. High General from Aya."

Evfra bowed, though he didn't look too happy about it.

"I look forward to speaking with your military leaders," Evfra said. "Our people have suffered endlessly in the hands of the kett."

Sara suppressed a wince. The words told of exhaustion and exasperation, like a rebuke of both King Alec and all of Nexus. Everyone knew that Nexus could be doing more to help the angara with their war. With supplies, with soldiers, with more space for refugees.

He was likely going to asking for all three of those things. He was going to have a hell of a time at the Citadel. Tann's very existence was one of the largest roadblocks.

"General Cora Harper. She's who you, Evfra, will want to talk to."

Evfra grunted while Cora stared blandly at her new acquaintance.

Alec gestured that they begin walking towards the palace. Alec and Scott led the way, while Jaal walked beside Sara.

Jaal seemed to slow his gait to make sure Sara was able to keep up. She kept an eye on him, trying to not to be too obvious about it.

Up close, she could see the intricate design on his rofjinn. It was carefully made, maybe even handcrafted for him in mind.

Alec paused when he reached Drack, who had been watching the whole exchange up until now near the door.

"This is Drack of Clan Nakmor."

Surprise in Alec's acknowledgement played across Drack's face for a moment before it evaporated, turning a stern respect.

"Good to meet ya," he grunted.

Sara could distantly appreciate the importance of the gesture. Krogan were often sidelined in most events, required but also unwelcome. Though the krogan did not hold official power, Alec indicated to the angara that they should hold them at similar standing to any of the four kingdom species.

Drack had talked about angaran weapons. Maybe there was someone on that ship that was destined to become Drack's supplier.

Sara glanced back to see more angara coming down the ramp. The other humans on the landing platform went to meet them. Meeting their counterparts, making arrangements.

The union between Hyperion and Heleus was already beginning.

She made a note to meet as many of them as possible. If they were going to be milling around, if they were going to become her people too, she might as well start getting to know Jaal's people.

Jaal's arm brushed her shoulder, taking her back to the present. Their orbits had drifted a little closer.

Accidentally, of course. There was no way he did that on purpose.

She let herself drift just a little further away from him, so that her shoulder wasn't close enough to brush against him again.

Sara might have been starstruck by the first meeting, her hand still burned like his lips were a brand, but she had to be pragmatic.

"Sara will give you a tour of the palace tomorrow," Alec said, "I am sure you and your party are tired and hungry from your journey."

No room for argument.

Jaal hummed in affirmative. And Sara was suddenly, violently, reminded that this was a marriage of political union.

She felt cold again.

…

 **And they have finally met! Yay!**

 **All feedback is appreciated! Seriously! Don't be shy!**

 **Cheers!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ta da! New chapter!**

 **Thanks for all the good feedback, I really appreciate it! Still in unemployed hell, so there's that. But hey, more writing!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

Awkward.

The initial excitement of the day before had faded. Meeting someone new and objectively handsome was able to carry Sara through a very quiet dinner.

Jaal and Sara did not speak much after meeting and barely made eye contact. Sometimes, Sara's mind would wander back to that first exchange, to that kiss on the hand, and that would make her heart race a little.

They had exchanged quiet 'good night's before separating to their respective quarters. Jaal got his own bedroom, the rest of his people bunking in rooms by threes. After a fitful sleep—knowledge that he was sleeping just down the hall kept her awake—she awoke to a realization that this was going to be a long, awkward journey.

Muted light filtered through the blinds into her room and opening them revealed a grey sky.

A tour of the palace, huh?

She showered and took the time to sort of replicate the makeup job Corrin had done the day before. Of course, she didn't succeed, but, she told herself she looked presentable before dressing herself and leaving the room.

Definitely a step down from what Jaal had witnessed yesterday, but he shouldn't have been expecting her to wear gowns and jewels every day. And she looked just fine in trousers and a tunic.

And why did she suddenly care so much about how she looked?

Sam met her almost immediately, just outside of Jaal's bedroom.

"Prince Jaal is in the dining hall."

Sara, like the child she was, grinned stupidly at that. "That rhymed, you know."

"Yes, I know," Sam replied flatly. "They just finished breakfast. You haven't eaten yet today, have you?"

No, she hadn't. "What would make you say that?" she asked, smiling innocently.

Sam eyed her and shrugged.

"Well, there definitely will be something for you in the dining hall. Do eat before escorting Jaal around."

Under any other circumstances, she would have ribbed Sam for being overbearing, but instead she made a beeline to the dining hall with the mission to both eat and fetch Jaal. The cooks on staff were always on point with whatever they served on a day-to-day basis. And Sara loved breakfast.

She pushed the door open to a blast of the smell of breakfast meats and eggs. She wished she had woken up earlier so she could sit down and have a proper meal.

As she entered the room, she could see about three-quarters of the angara party around the large dining table, almost all of which had empty or almost-empty plates. She could see Jaal as well, easy to pick out in the crowd. He was without his headdress and rifle, but that rofjinn from yesterday was still pinned over his shoulder.

They were in deep conversation so Sara rushed as stealthily as possible to the plate of pastries, picked one out, and crammed it into her mouth.

Of course, she immediately regretted that decision, but she had made it and, damn it, she would go through with it. She kept her back to the dining table and internally cursed.

 _I'm an idiot I'm an idiot I'm an idiot I'm an id—_

Sara almost choked when she heard footsteps approach and Jaal's voice sounded behind her.

"Princess Sara, I didn't see you come in."

 _Shit._

Sara hesitated as long as was politely possible before turning around, still chewing around a mouthful of pastry.

"Good morning, Prince Jaal."

It was garbled and, oh, if she could evaporate and disappear at that very moment it would have been a mercy.

Finally, she was able to swallow and cleared her throat.

"Ah, sorry."

Jaal blinked at her.

"Why are you apologizing?"

It was her turn to blink, soundless. Sara opened and closed her mouth. Was he serious or just giving her an out? A favor done entirely out of politeness, of course.

"Ah, nothing. Never mind. Shall we go on our tour, Prince Jaal?"

He nodded, seeming completely unaware of Sara's faux pas.

"Yes. Sam told me to be ready."

That must have been a fun conversation. Sam was often short and to the point with anyone who wasn't in the royal family. And since Jaal had been a bit standoffish—as politely as one could be—to his human hosts, the exchange was more that likely stilted. Awkward.

Jaal turned towards the table, where his people still huddled, obviously watching the exchange between prince and princess.

"I shall take my leave," he announced.

The angara around the table all stood up and bowed.

"My prince," said Evfra, as if a representative for the rest of them.

Evfra looked at her for a moment. "Princess."

The acknowledgement felt strangely good. Evfra hardly talked to her the night before, nor did the rest of the visiting angara.

They would become her people, just as much as Hyperion's residents.

"We can start on this side of the palace and work our way to the other side," Sara said as they left the room.

"Whatever you say."

She pointed out the rooms, identified some of the people portraited on the walls.

Part of her wanted to sprint in order to make the tour end as quickly as possible. Instead, she just kept by Jaal's side, walking just fast enough that it looked like she had a purpose, slow enough that it felt like they were an actual couple just walking around.

Like she could pretend this was normal.

"I hope you had a good evening last night," she spoke up. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept very little," came the short reply.

"Jet lag?"

"Something like that. I also missed home."

Sara nodded, glancing away from him.

"I can understand that."

Well, she really couldn't, since she hadn't left Nexus before. But, the feeling of homesickness was something she could relate to, something she even felt while she was within the palace walls.

The grey, muted light filtering in from the windows didn't really help the mood.

"I'm sorry if I don't have much to say about the various rooms and stuff," Sara said. "I wasn't really prepared to give an in-depth tour of the palace."

"I don't understand why your father deemed this necessary."

Okay, at least they were agreeing on that front. Alec had a way of insisting on things being done or being done a certain way and never really explaining his reasoning. Sam would be the one best out of anyone to go for clarification, but even then, sometimes he didn't know or was close-lipped about.

"Well, since you're going to be living here after the wedding…" Sara began.

Jaal cut her off almost immediately. "I never agreed to something like that."

That tone immediately put her on alert, making her falter in her step. Oh, no. She stepped headlong into a minefield, into dicey territory and Sara didn't know how to respond.

"I honestly don't know how the living situation would work" she confessed, trying to dispel the suddenly heavy mood. "If we would live half the time in Hyperion and half on Havarl."

Jaal turned sharply to look at her. Sara froze, turning to face him. "I would not abandon my people. Not during this war."

Sara reeled. "I—I will not ask you to."

"But it might be demanded of me?" He didn't sound happy about the idea of him moving to Hyperion at all.

Sara sucked in a breath.

"I don't know. I really don't. We are in uncharted territory."

He shook his head.

"I wish my mother had given more information about this arrangement, the details. I am a warrior for my people before anything else."

She didn't have anything poignant to say in response.

"We will do what is best for both of our peoples," she murmured.

Fuck, she sounded like her father.

"And if what is best for my people is not best for yours?"

She shrugged, stomach dropping. She wasn't keen on this whole situation, but to hear Jaal express his apparent distaste for the whole situation made her feel oddly disappointed.

"Our agreement to get married isn't set in stone. I suppose either of us could break off the engagement at any time. Though I doubt our families would appreciate it very much, since they went through all the trouble of getting us together."

"I suppose they did."

"And I doubt Queen Sahuna would have made this arrangement at all if it wasn't in your people's best interests."

They walked further down the halls, each mulling the other's words. Sara's heart beat loudly in her ears.

Was that their first fight?

To say it was their first fight as a couple would've been a lie because they weren't a couple, they were barely on the same page on anything.

Fuck, why was this palace so big?

"Do you wish to see the administrative offices?" Sara offered as offhandedly as she could. She could salvage this. Maybe. "I believe some of your people have been meeting with the officials stationed there."

Not hearing a verbal answer, Sara turned to look up at him.

Jaal's eyes were trained forward, but it didn't seem like he was looking at something that was actually there. His jaw was slightly slack.

Panic shot through Sara, previous argument forgotten.

"Jaal?"

She reached out and touched his arm, giving him a little shake.

Almost instantly, he started violently, breath hissing through his teeth, and his arm flailed out, just enough that Sara jumped back a step to avoid being hit.

"Hey!"

The haziness cleared from his eyes as he focused on her, brow raised and eyes wide. She must have looked the same, a picture of shock. Her hands were still raised in self-defense, and she forced herself to relax a little. She still watched him, like one would watch a wounded animal.

"My—my apologies. You were saying?" Jaal stuttered.

Good question. What was she saying?

"The administrative offices. Your people have been meeting with the officials there. Do you want to go see?"

It took him a moment to process, like his brain was rebooting from whatever just happened.

"Ah, yes."

Sara walked forward with purpose and Jaal trailed half a step behind her. Her heart was pounding, not out of fear, exactly, though almost getting whacked did rattle her a bit.

There was something in Jaal's expression that made her feel funny in a way she couldn't define. Pity? No, it wasn't pity.

Something to meditate on later.

Rain fell lightly outside, audible through the guarded doors to the courtyard.

"An umbrella, my lady?"

She turned to see one of the guards—Andrew was his name—at the door fetch an umbrella from the little closet near the door.

"Allow me."

Jaal took the umbrella from him.

Andrew opened the door and inclined his head in respect as the two royals stepped into the dreary walkway.

Jaal opened the umbrella and held it between them as they walked towards the administrative offices. Though it was cold around them, Sara could feel warmth radiating from his body.

"Just our luck that it'd start raining, right?" She immediately kicked herself for the inane comment.

He hummed in response.

"I suppose."

Silence again, except for the faint birdsong and rain tapping. Her eyes were drawn towards the huge garden sprawling from one side of the walkway on. The garden always drew her in

"My apologies for earlier," Jaal murmured. Genuinely contrite.

She looked to him and his expression matched his tone. His face had twisted a little, eyes side, like he was close to weeping.

"It's okay; I would rather you didn't do it again, though," Sara mumbled, the thought of watching him cry renewing that sense of panic. "Almost hit me, I mean."

"I had a bad thought. I did not mean to harm you."

He didn't articulate further, so Sara could only assume that was the full cause of him freezing up.

"I know this is hard for you. I'm sure you want to go home more than anything."

Jaal nodded. "Leaving my home during this war was difficult. But, I knew that my mother's plan could only be for my benefit and my peoples benefit. That brings me some comfort."

"Your benefit?"

His lips turned up in a shaky smile.

"She worries, as mothers often do. Back home, I am usually found with our military leaders or in my workshop. I'm not one to socialize."

Sara nodded. "Understandable. We'll be meeting someone who loves socializing, just so you're aware."

The entrance to the admin offices welcomed them with a blast of warm air and shelter from the rain. Sara paused to let Jaal shake out the umbrella before setting it in the bucket near the door, where several other umbrellas in different states of wetness dried.

Most the office doors were closed, likely in meetings that were not to be disturbed. Of course, Sara could've walked into any meeting she wanted, but that was generally considered an asshole move.

Sara hoped that Liam was in his office or this would have been a pointless endeavor and she would have to improvise in introducing Jaal to someone she was less familiar with.

Liam's door was closed, but Sara could clearly hear him moving things around. So, she knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Liam shouted.

A cabinet shut and something clattered to the ground as Liam cursed indistinctly before the door finally opened. Liam brightened when he saw Sara, faded ever so slightly when he saw who she was with, and then brightened again.

"Ah, Princess Sara. Prince Jaal. I am glad to see you both. What can I do for you?" he asked, jovially.

Sara couldn't help the feeling of relief that Liam was already taking this drop-in visit in stride and not making it awkward. "I was showing Prince Jaal around the palace and decided it would be good to visit."

"Ah, I see," Liam nodded, before moving aside and pulling his office door more open. "Well, come in."

Sara entered first, with Jaal a short distance behind her, as if he had hesitated a moment before entering the room.

Liam focused on Jaal and stuck out his arm. "I believe we were introduced yesterday, but it is good to meet you on more personal terms."

Jaal knocked his arm against Liam's, in the less familiar way that Sara recognized. Her ears felt hot at the memory of her pressing the inside of her arm to Jaal's, then him kissing her hand.

"I have great respect for those who watch over institutions such as this" Jaal said, snapping her out of her reverie. "You must have your hands full."

Liam smiled thinly. "Well, I suppose so. Most people aren't stupid enough to attack the palace outright, though people have tried in the past. It's more when the royal family leaves the palace walls when I have to get creative."

Sara could tell he was thinking of one incident in particular and she grimaced.

Liam brightened. "I look forward to learning more about the angara way of doing things. Since there's that war and all, security must be treated different than it is here."

"I believe so, yes."

The conversation continued along that same vein for a few minutes. It was clear Jaal didn't really want to stick around for long, so Sara refused Liam's offer for them to sit down on his couch and have a couple drinks.

Instead, they stood, and compared human and angara methods of guarding large buildings. Sara, personally, couldn't care less about the conversation, but, Alec had taught her well in pretending to be interested in whatever topic was being spoken about and contributing seemingly meaningful commentary.

She _didn't_ sag in relief when Liam's comm beeped, signaling a call from either Cora or one of the barrack commanders close by to the palace.

"Ah, sorry. Gotta take this," Liam said with a sheepish grin. "If you need a stiff drink and a comfy couch, you both are welcome."

After bidding Liam farewell, Sara and Jaal walked through the rest of the offices, not really speaking to anyone but just looking.

"Everything seems to be well-organized. Everyone is in their place," Jaal observed.

"It wasn't always like that. When humans first gained their kingdom, the various officials were in disarray, with people often taking multiple roles or many people having the same role."

"Sounds chaotic."

"It was. But previous rulers, before my father, had straightened things out, looking mostly to the asari kingdom for inspiration."

There were exhaustive records on that, some of which Alec required her to read. Dense stuff, but also telling of how things were run in the centuries and millennia before she was born. Despite the ages krogan and asari could live to, no one from the time of the first human Queen was now alive to tell about it.

"It is difficult to maintain that in Heleus," Jaal said solemnly. "With the war, we must anticipate any part of the legislature or the military to be disrupted at any time."

"So, you have contingencies, chains of command?" Sara asked.

"Yes. If one angara falls, there will always be someone to take their place."

The image of a broken body lying bloody on the ground flashed through her head. Covered with a cloth, a few words of mourning, then the living continuing on.

She flinched. The idea of being expendable wasn't something she experienced before except in the vague theoretical regarding royal succession but she could definitely imagine. "Must be hard. But, it is to keep your people safe, so it must be done."

"Indeed."

The rain had stopped by the time they stepped outside again to head back to the palace. The birdsong was louder and the world smelled clean.

"What is your relationship to Captain Liam, aside from him being your head of security?" Jaal asked.

The sudden change of subject almost had her stammering for an answer. The question hadn't been angry or accusatory, or she surely would have snapped back wondering why it was any of his business.

"We're friends," she said plainly.

Jaal hummed.

She wanted to press him on why he would ask such a question, but she figured it was meant as an explanation for her familiarity with Liam. Nothing more.

"The day is still young," Jaal said, glancing up at the clouds. Still dreary, but the grey lightened just enough that it was unlikely to start raining again. And if it did, they would both be inside.

Sara nodded. It was barely noon.

"I hope the tour was helpful, so you don't get lost."

"Yes. I thank you. I am sure you have other duties you would like to attend to."

The dozens of emails she had yet to respond to and the emails that likely came in since she last checked. Right.

Sara made a face. "I'd rather not, honestly. What will you do?"

Jaal pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "Evfra is already preparing statements for his address to the Citadel. I may assist him. I may also make a few vid-calls home, to check in with my mother."

Sara ignored the pang of jealousy and focused on the dread that came with the mentioning of the Citadel. She wasn't expected to speak, but she had thoughts of sketching out a couple small statements and talking points in case she was called to speak on behalf of either Hyperion or her arrangement with Jaal.

"Why do you not wish to attend your duties?" Jaal questioned. "Are they particularly stressful?"

Sara smiled wanly. Stressful, no. Annoying and tedious, yes.

"Most of my duties involve answering messages from bureaucrats. I'm sure you know how that is."

"Indeed. Most tiresome," Jaal replied, nodding.

"And you will get to meet most of them during the Citadel assembly."

"I look forward to it," came the dry reply.

Jaal turned to step back into the palace. Before she could check herself, Sara burst out, "You had mentioned a workshop earlier."

He turned back and tilted his head in confusion. "I believe I did, yes."

"I can ask Drack if he could have a space cleared out for you while you're here."

It definitely wasn't a hard thing to ask. There were pockets of unused and underused space that would be optimal for a workshop. And…if it was to make him more comfortable, she could always demand it.

"Thank you," Jaal said with a nod. "I did bring some tools from home for me to use, so a space to work would be appreciated."

So, he was serious about being a handyman. She wondered what he would be working on. The ceremonial rifle that was currently absent could have been one of his personal inventions, but she couldn't be sure unless she asked.

They stood in silence for a moment, neither of them moving. Finally, Jaal shifted.

"I shall take my leave. Until then, Princess Sara."

Her lips turned down in a frown, shuffling forward almost unconsciously. "You can call me Sara. There's really no need for the formality, unless we're around other people, I suppose."

"I do not know you that well, Princess Sara."

She schooled her expression, ignored the unusual twinge in her chest. "I suppose you're right."

He paused again, expression twisting in thought. "In time, I shall think about it," Jaal offered.

Sara nodded. At least that was something. Something they could work on. Stars, she was fucked if the mere concept of being on a first-name basis with him had a ballooning feeling in her chest.

"See you later, Prince Jaal."

"Farewell, Princess Sara. Stay strong and clear."

She watched him leave for several moments, feeling vaguely wistful. Then she started towards her quarters.

She had an email to write.

…

 ***eyes emoji***

 **All feedback is much appreciated!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I am OFFICIALLY out of unemployed hell. I've tried to get as much writing done in advance but once that runs out its gonna be slow-going with updates.**

 **Thanks for all the feedback and the well-wishes! I really appreciate it! :D**

 **Enjoy!**

…

One night, the windows blew out of her room, impossibly silent.

Sara lay in bed, eyes wide, body frozen. Icy wind blew in, accompanying a shadowy figure.

The figure approached, their entire body concealed so Sara couldn't tell what species they were. One foot on the bed, then the other, so they were standing over her, towering.

 _Click_ , the sound of a gun safety being toggled. A rifle pressed to her chest, digging into her sternum. She couldn't move; she could only watch.

 _Bang_.

Sara shook awake, sucking air into desperate lungs. She sat up, looking to the window and finding it whole. Her hand swiped over her chest, finding it unbloodied. The air conditioning hummed softly and despite the shivers wracking her body, she wasn't cold.

Getting out of bed and putting on a robe and slippers, Sara wandered out of her room.

There were guards stationed at the same places as they would be in the daytime, only there were two duos that patrolled the halls.

She knew the routes well enough, as sneaking around as a child was her favorite pastime.

Sara stuffed her hands in her robe pockets and wandered down the hall, to stop in front of Jaal's door. Her subconscious was clearly trying to tell her something.

Soft words came from inside.

She thought to knock. It would be wise to knock; they could commiserate over their inability to sleep. It would be foolish to knock; she would be interrupting.

She wanted to imagine what it would have been like if they had met normally and fell in love before the prospect of an engagement. Odds were, he wouldn't have been sleeping in a separate room (though assigned one for the sake of pretending to have some modesty).

She would wake up by his side, still shaken by the nightmare. Then she would curl up by his side or he would be awake to comfort her.

Her hand lowered back down to her side and she kept walking.

A fantasy.

One of the hallways had its motion-sensing lights tripped, so she knew that the patrol had been down there recently and wouldn't be back for at least an hour.

She walked up to one of the windows, pressed her forehead against it, each breath fogging up the glass.

The outside gardens were mostly shadow, lit only by the lampposts that lined the walkways. Were she not in her pajamas and afraid of getting shanked by a garden-assassin, she would've gone out to take a walk through the garden.

She sighed quietly. Maybe Scott would be up.

Oh, wait, if he was up at that hour, he was likely doing something that she did not want to see. She still had yet to meet Reyes Vidal, but if he was simply one of Scott's short-term lovers, she probably didn't need to.

As long as he did his job, that was all that mattered.

While Sara couldn't fall asleep on her feet, her mind definitely wandered into sleepy half-formed thoughts as she stood there.

Those meetings at the Citadel were coming up. She should really prepare for those, huh?

One set of footsteps treading down the hallway, not one of the patrols, shocked her out of the fog.

Of course, solitude never lasted. She turned, forehead peeling off of the window.

"Dad."

Alec, in his sleep clothes, came into view. She was honestly shocked that he would be walking around in sleep clothes. He was usually either in semi-formal dress or in military regalia.

To see him like this was to see him strangely vulnerable.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

She shook her head. A redundant question really, and what was Alec planning to do about it? Alec didn't sing songs or read storybooks to his children before bed when they were young, and he wouldn't do so now.

"You should go back to bed," he said.

And there it was, giving a request-but-really-an-order. Even in the wee hours of the morning, King Alec wasn't above that.

She let the irritation take hold, just for a little bit. If she went left, she would head in the direction back to her room. If she went right…

"Okay," she murmured, pushing herself off the window sill and turning further down the hallway, opposite of her room.

"Good night," Alec said. He didn't question what she was doing. He sounded almost sad, resigned.

"'Night."

She kept walking and, had she been sleepwalking, she would have walked right into the pool. It would have been an embarrassing thing if there had been a soul awake to witness it but Sara was blessedly alone.

She sat down at the pool's edge and dipped her feet in the cold water after rucking up her pajama pants.

Jaal had remarked in wonder about the idea of having a swimming pool, much less an indoor swimming pool. Sara couldn't help but flinch at the opulence of having such a thing. The pool was barely used to begin with.

"I prefer lakes," he had said.

And, well, if her thoughts immediately went to looking for viable lake spots on Nexus to visit, nobody would be able to prove it. She wondered what kind of lakes could be found in Heleus.

They both couldn't let their sham of a romance overtake the arrangements needed for their peoples' benefit, but doing things for each other would definitely help.

She had put the request in for room to be made for Jaal's workshop. Drack had smirked knowingly at the request and had told her that the preparations would be made within the next couple days.

It wouldn't be a surprise, since Jaal already knew about the idea. But, it still felt nice to do.

She swished her legs through the water. No time to go swimming, but it was relaxing.

Sleep found her soon, her body lowering itself to her side, feet still in the water. Not a comfy position, but her brain didn't particularly care.

An overly-bright room and a faceful of water was the next thing she knew.

Sara blinked awake, sputtering and flailing, at the sound of kicked water, water that now covered the top half of her body.

The first thing she saw was a leg lifting out of the water, then, Scott's shit-eating grin before he turned tail and ran.

"I'll kill you!" Sara yelled after him, all bark and no bite. She would have to get back at him later.

Her feet were wrinkly and her back and arm were stiff.

Exactly not a state she wanted to wake up to. And she was wet and cold as well.

"Fuck," she whispered.

She forced herself upright and shoved her wet feet into her slippers before padding away. She could already hear people in the halls, so it was late enough into the morning that she wasn't going to be able to get to her room without at least someone who wasn't Scott seeing.

She mumbled and grumbled to herself as she headed back to her room. The expression on her face must have told everyone around her that she wasn't to be disturbed, because everyone around her seemed to keep a respectful distance, if not outright recoiling from her.

The final stretch to her room and a door opened in front of her. And who should walk into the hallway but Jaal. _Prince_ Jaal. Whatever.

Clearly, the universe hated her.

"Princess Sara?"

She stopped and blinked up at him. She hadn't seen him in a few days, with the exception of meals and even then, they didn't talk.

"Hey."

Jaal looked her over, eyes roaming her face. She wanted to melt into the ground and disappear.

"You didn't sleep well?" Jaal asked. "Why are you wet?"

This was embarrassing. She probably looked like a total mess. Why was he here?

"No, I had a nightmare. And pool, that's why I'm wet," she explained, spitting out each word.

It was Jaal's turn to blink and if Sara was in any clearer state of mind she would have seen that he looked hurt.

But he was in her way so she didn't care.

"Excuse me, Prince Jaal."

There was unchecked venom in her voice. Once again, if she was in a clearer state of mind, her tone would have been kinder. She moved around him and made a beeline to her room, not looking back.

Her damp clothes hit the floor the moment her bedroom door closed behind her.

She took a freezing cold shower, put on her exercise clothes, and stormed to the training area.

…

Barely a week and she felt like she was going stir-crazy. She barely saw half of the angara delegation, much less knew everyone's names. Their presence was also an official reason for Alec to keep her on house arrest until the Citadel meetings.

 _Bam. Bam._

The leather crackled under her fist.

She knew she looked like a fool, to everyone she passed, to Scott (though it was his fault), and to Jaal.

"Fuck."

It was all fake. All of it! She allowed herself for a few precious days to believe that this was some romance in a story. After the tour, Jaal and Sara's paths hardly crossed for two days until that morning. She didn't even know the state of his address to the Citadel, much less what he was planning on saying.

She wondered if she would be able to arrange a Prothean dig with Peebee and just escape the palace on the sly. Not likely feasible. Perhaps Alec or Sam would flag those emails and increase security that it would be impossible for her to leave.

She sighed through her nose.

If she really wanted to feel bad about her situation, she could go and read some the contrary reporting on the whole marriage and the angara delegation. The political pundits and the gossip rags.

Hours blended together. She had enough self-preservation to take water breaks, but she beat at the punching bag and shot blanks at targets until the sun rose high in the sky and her brain fuzzed with fatigue.

Scott was likely going to find her and apologize for being an utter asshole but she wasn't about to hold her breath.

No, she had bigger things to deal with than waiting for an apology from her younger brother. That relationship ebbed and flowed with time, but never broke. There were other relationships she had to foster.

Two days before the Citadel meetings and she already was snapping at her fiancé. She would have to apologize to him.

When her vision started tunneling around the edges and she could feel her exhaustion drying the back of her throat, she stopped.

A check on the time told her that she was there for over three hours.

She would have to get to apologizing to Jaal later. Now, her focus was on getting back to her room in one piece. Which shouldn't have been too hard, as she was perfectly conscious albeit doused in sweat and exhausted, but with the luck she had at the beginning of the day, it stood to reason that it would carry into the middle.

After doing a half-assed job at wiping down the equipment, she turned towards the exit. Only to freeze.

A plate with some fruit and a pastry sat on the ground near the door, like someone had cracked open the entrance to the training area and slid it through.

She didn't hear anyone come in, so that must have been the case.

She ate what was left for her, not daring to guess who left it there.

…

Sara's stomach felt like it dropped to around her feet at the email at the top of her inbox.

 _Email from HRH Queen Sahuna_

"Shit," she breathed.

She didn't want to click on it, she didn't even want to look at it. Instead she stood impotently at her desk, sweat drying and hands shaking from the exertion.

Shower first.

Though the sweat from her workout sluiced down the drain and made her feel physically better, a thousand scenarios swirled through her mind.

Almost all of them were at least tangently related to Sahuna breaking off the engagement between Sara and Jaal.

On account of her snapping at Jaal one time? Stars, that would be embarrassing. Alec would never forgive her.

Dripping water all over the carpet, Sara wandered out of the shower in a towel and sat down at her computer to face the music.

 _Dear Sara,_

 _Jaal has told me that there has been friction in your relationship._

Sara immediately stopped reading and thumped her head against the desk. If this was what the rest of the email was going to be like, she was finished.

 _I understand that this arrangement is unconventional. It is unfortunate that the parents must enforce their will on their children to this end. Neither of you nor my son were meant to have arranged marriages, but it is the situation we have been dealt with._

 _I wish nothing more for you and Jaal to find happiness together. While I have personally insisted that Jaal reach out to you more, I can only hope that you reach out in the same way. This arrangement will do best if you two at least are friendly, but I hope for you to end up as much as in love as I was with my husband._

Sara stopped again, spun around in her chair, face in her hands. A sickening feeling of guilt settled heavy on her chest.

 _To that end, I would like to formally invite you to visit Havarl. I understand that it was likely to be required of you before the wedding anyway, but I wanted to extend a welcome to my home that I hope will become yours._

 _Stay strong and clear,_

 _Sahuna_

Sara exhaled. Okay, not what she was expecting.

The sheer patience and understanding that seemed to ooze from every word in the email took her aback. And her words were elegant and clearly well thought-out.

Now, Sara wanted to meet her in person, or at least speak to her over vid-call. Of course, she would be apologetic and hoping that Sahuna wouldn't suddenly grow teeth for being an asshole to Jaal. She already felt guilty and embarrassed.

She quickly wrote out a reply to thank her for the words of encouragement and the invitation. That was going to be a logistic clusterfuck, but it had to be worth it.

Sahuna loved her son. That much was painfully obvious. She wouldn't have pressed this arrangement if it was going to only result in harm to him.

Sara wondered she would ever be able to love Jaal even remotely close to how much Sahuna loved Jaal.

…

 **YERRRRRRR *ahem* sorry.**

 **All feedback is much appreciated!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	8. Chapter 8

**And we're back, with another delicious, nutritious chapter.**

 **Thanks for all the lovely feedback! I really appreciate it (though it was kinda light this last chapter which makes me kinda sad ngl)!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

She didn't see Jaal for the rest of the day, not even at mealtime. While she couldn't chalk it up to him avoiding her, the thought did cross her mind. Maybe he had received a similar email—more likely a vid-call than anything—from Sahuna.

The next day, after another night of fitful, worry-filled sleep, she looked in earnest.

First, she tried his room. She knocked on the door to no reply and there was no sound of movement inside.

He had no reason or obligation to tell her where he was going, but it didn't feel good to be kept out of the loop like that.

She wandered the halls again, this time unsure if she should reach out to the first angara she saw to find out Jaal's whereabouts.

Before she could decide, she almost ran into one.

"General," Sara greeted.

The tall, blue angara she suddenly found face-to-face with stared down his nose at her.

"Ah, Princess Sara," Evfra said. He didn't look particularly happy to see her, but then again, he never looked particularly happy at all.

Sara wracked her brain to figure out what Evfra was doing in Hyperion in the first place. Remembering the reason left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I hope General Harper has been helpful with negotiations."

Sara's relationship with Cora was strained, to say the least. The older woman was often cold to her, even when they had the pseudo-civil conversation on their respective projects: botany and archaeology.

Evfra's lip curled with thinly-veiled disgust. "I do not trust her word, or that of any other human."

Sara stifled a sigh. He was the combative, distrusting sort, that much was painfully apparent. She could name plenty Nexus officials who had the same personality type. And _he_ was the main negotiator for military alliances? He must have been a shrewd tactician, worth keeping around.

"She is trustworthy. My father wouldn't have appointed her if she wasn't."

While Sara had her issues with Cora, they had little to do with Cora's ability as a military leader. It was more to do with Cora's relationship with Alec. Though it definitely wasn't romantic—Sara felt sick even thinking about it—Cora seemed to cling to Alec like a young child would cling to their father.

Cora was all the pragmatic military leader that Sara wasn't. And she was more than friendly with the asari crown, which only made her more valuable to Alec.

So, Sara was jealous. Not that anyone knew that except for maybe Liam after a drunken tirade that she may or may not have had at some point.

"Her words have little consequence. It's clear that she answers to your father. And I am more concerned about planet-wide alliances at the moment."

Sara sucked in a tiny breath between her teeth. "The Citadel meetings."

"Yes."

Evfra was clearly a tough man who would fight for his people. His head was going to butt with Tann's, hard. She knew it.

"While I have limited influence on the agreements between Heleus and Nexus, I plan to be fully involved with agreements made specifically between Heleus and Hyperion."

"You plan to be our liaison," Evfra said, watching her closely.

Sara shrugged. "That is the purpose of this marriage, isn't it? I'm sure Prince Jaal will have a similar role."

Evfra nodded, still looking disgusted at the whole idea. "Yes, and making babies to continue the line."

That was something Sara avoided thinking about. Though Alec never brought the idea of carrying on the family lineage, there was that specter always there.

Half-human, half-angara children were definitely rare, especially since relationships between the two species were rare to begin with. But it wasn't impossible.

"That's the plan," Sara sighed.

"At least your children will look like angara, though diluted," Evfra sniffed. "If Prince Jaal had ended up with the asari, they would have asari children. Not desirable in a war where angara births need to replace angara deaths."

Sara tried to imagine Jaal engaged to Queen Sarissa or one of her daughters and failed.

"Perhaps if my father hadn't agreed so quickly, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I think Queen Sahuna, may the stars bless her, was going to wait until your father accepted, regardless of if Sarissa said yes or not."

Sara blinked. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I believe the invitation to the asari was purely out of courtesy, as to not appear that she had some bias towards humans."

"But she does have bias towards humans?"

Evfra shifted on his feet. They were getting into dicey territory. The relations between any two species, regardless of which planet they inhabited, was never static, and particularly bad relations were usually not talked about.

The salarians hated the krogan. The krogan hated the salarians, albeit for more justifiable reasons. Just about all the non-human Nexus species hated the human Citadel representatives. Nobody talked about it.

"Let's just say that Havarl's queen has had a difficult relationship with the asari crown and wasn't planning on making them part of the family."

Sara nodded. By Evfra's tone, this meant 'discussion over, don't ask anything more'.

"And the Citadel meetings?"

"What about them?"

"I shouldn't have to warn you, but there are plenty of people in the Citadel who will fight tooth and nail to keep out of Heleus."

"I am prepared for that."

"There are also people who are willing to render aid, maybe even send troops. But, they might not necessarily be in the majority. You'll have to convince those who don't really care one way or another."

Sara's naïve reliance on the imaginary inherent good in people still lingered in her heart, but most of it had been quashed over the years. Alec had a personal hand in some of that as well.

"They should care," Evfra raised his voice, almost physically puffing up in front of her. "My people are suffering. Every day I get reports of scores of my people dying. Not just soldiers, _civilians_."

There was that anger that he was clearly hiding, under the veil of indifference. Sara felt for him, unable to imagine what kind of pain he went through, especially as a military leader. She could be that he wanted back on Heleus as soon as possible, but that was likely going to be delayed if he was ordered not to leave until agreements were brokered.

He was definitely going to have a time at the Citadel.

"I know," Sara said. "But, some would rather put their own people first."

Evfra appeared disgusted by the concept, but also unhappily resigned to the fact.

"Your children will fight in this war," Evfra spat.

"Not if it ends before my children come of fighting age."

Evfra was clearly shocked at the statement, but quickly recovered and scoffed. "You humans are endlessly optimistic."

"Foolishly so?" Sara asked, lips quirking up in a smile.

"Indeed."

He would be a good ally to have.

Sara cleared her throat.

"I don't see Prince Jaal often in the halls. Do you know where he usually can be found? He wasn't in his room," she asked.

Evfra eyed her again, suspicious. Sara stared back impassively. There was no subterfuge for her to reveal. If Evfra suddenly decided to have an over the top need for secrecy, well, Sara could find someone more willing to speak.

Instead, Evfra stated blandly, "I am sure you are aware, but angara often find refuge in the sunlight, not cooped up indoors."

Sara blinked owlishly. "I—actually wasn't."

She had seen angara in the gardens, once the storm that had blown in had dissipated, often in groups. But, she didn't make the connection that they were out there for a reason.

That got her an eye-roll, albeit as respectful an eye-roll could be.

"Heleus architecture reflects this. But you will likely find Prince Jaal in the sun."

Sara nodded.

"Is that where you were heading? Outside?" she asked.

"No. I was hungry."

"Oh."

"Your food is something to get used to."

"Oh," Sara repeated, dumbly. "My apologies if our arrangements were not sufficient."

Nobody had mentioned that the food was not up to snuff with the angara. She supposed they were eating food that they brought with them and keeping their consumption of Hyperion food to a minimum.

She should do some more research into that, right?

"Ah, well, I should get going and find J—Prince Jaal."

Evfra gave her one last look, a neutral expression painting his face which was at least a step up from disdain.

"I wish you luck on your search, Princess Sara."

He left before she could say anything more, but she didn't watch him leave. Instead, she turned and headed to the gardens.

Unfortunately for her, saying that Jaal would be 'outside' didn't exactly narrow down her options. She knew from experience that the outside grounds surrounding the palace were sprawling and easy to get lost in.

Not easy to hide in though, if an intruder came knocking, not with the biometric scanners and other security tools that kept the grounds safe.

The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky.

She would have enjoyed it if not for the twenty minutes of her searching for Jaal. She tried to make herself look as unhurried and relaxed about it, but if a groundskeeper had seen her, they would have thought she was a bit harried.

He was under the shade of a tree, sitting on a bench and tapping at a datapad. The feeling that curled in her chest as she took in his profile as she approached, well, she wasn't going to give it too much thought.

"Prince Jaal?"

Jaal snapped to attention, turning to lock eyes with her.

Princess Sara.

Her words dried up in her mouth. He seemed just as speechless.

"I would like to apologize for my behavior yesterday," she finally said.

Jaal blinked at her.

"I accept your apology, Princess Sara."

She nodded.

Silence reigned for a moment, the two of them facing each other but not really looking at each other. She realized this was the first time she could actually see the top of his head.

Bioluminescent skin in the valleys down the back of his head glowed, just barely visible. She didn't notice it before.

"How are you, Princess Sara?" he asked.

"I'm fine. And you, Prince Jaal?"

He lifted up the datapad and showed her the screen. The script was in his native language, but there was a picture of a waterfall that was a main attraction in the northern part of the region.

"Hyperion is an interesting region. I hope to visit more of it soon."

Sara nodded. At least she had that going for her. If Jaal was absolutely hating Hyperion so far, she would have to wonder if this arrangement was tenable at all.

"Do you have any particular places you want to go?"

"I would like to go to Kadara. I know many of my people have found refuge there."

Sara couldn't hold back a flinch. That was the one place she had hoped he wouldn't ask about, but knew that he eventually would.

"That is not a part of Hyperion."

Jaal tilted his head in confusion. "But a human rules Kadara, does she not?"

Technicalities. The legitimate kingdoms of Nexus ignored Kadara as much as possible, so it would make sense that Jaal would think that the rogue state was on similar ground as Nexus.

"She may be human, but she is not associated with Hyperion or the crown."

Sloane Kelly wasn't associated with anyone. By the virtue of her influence on Kadara was she still in power and not forcefully deposed. Nobody was willing to open up a vacuum in this day and age, especially when Heleus's war with the kett close to becoming an official Nexus problem.

"That matters little to me," Jaal said dismissively. "I wish to visit my people who have been displaced by this war."

Sara knew immediately that this was going to be an argument she couldn't win. "I'll see what I can do. It would be challenging for the two of us to go there."

"The two of us?"

"Well, you would need an escort."

"I don't see why I would need an escort."

A thoroughly unpleasant image of Jaal being gutted and left for dead in a Kadara alley flashed through her head and Sara's jaw tightened.

Was he really that dense? Does he not understand what kind of a risk even passing a stone's throw's distance from Kadara was?

"Do you realize how dangerous Kadara is? It's filled with criminals who would love to either put a bullet in your head or kidnap you for ransom."

Jaal straightened. Though Sara was looking down at him, it felt like he was towering over her, looking down his nose at her. "I have been fighting in a war since I have come of age. A few bounty hunters do not concern me."

Sara stared right back. "There are many factions who would stand to gain through your death or ransom, all who have cells in Kadara. I could list them out for you, if you want."

Jaal bit out, "No, that is not necessary."

"I don't know Kadara all that well, but I know it better than you. And I know people who know Kadara better than the both of us. We should both go."

They could make it a humanitarian thing. Visit the neighborhoods where angara refugees were the majority. Avoid the seedy underbelly of any part of Kadara.

It was a bad idea regardless of who went and who stayed behind.

Sara sighed and spoke up again. "I doubt anyone else would agree to your idea, Jaal, you going alone. You would have an escort regardless of if I came with you or not. But, since I am your fiancée, I should go with you."

He sniffed.

"Make the arrangements."

Well, that was easy.

"I will," Sara replied coolly.

The conversation had reached an end. There was nowhere to go from there, despite Sahuna's letter flashing through her mind.

One step forward, two steps back.

"I want to thank you."

Sara blinked in shock.

"What for?"

"For the workshop you set up for me," Jaal said. "I haven't had much time to use it, but perhaps after the meetings, I will be able to use it in earnest."

"Oh. I'm glad."

He looked her over, a question in his eyes that was clearly not going to be asked.

"That is a lovely necklace."

She looked down to see what he was talking about. The delicate string of gold and pearls ringed around her neck.

"Thank you. It was my mother's."

He hummed, nodding. The negative air was dissipating, way too easily. Sara had almost forgotten why she had been angry in the first place.

"Heleus is famous for their jewelry making, right?" she asked.

Though Jaal was without his royal regalia, Sara remembered the intricate headdress. Up close, Sara noticed that the silver piercings on his brow had swirling patterns etched into the metal.

"Yes. We have plenty of precious metals and stones, and skilled artisans to make use of them."

"Likely going to be a point of contention at the meetings."

"Indeed. It's unfortunate, as I hate squabbling about matters like this, but it's necessary."

And that statement seemed to sum-up their relationship perfectly.

…

 **Yeee we're on our waaaay.**

 **All feedback is appreciated! Really. Please. Gimme. I'm desperate for that Validation.**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	9. Chapter 9

**YOU ALL ARE SO NICE OMLLLL Thank you for all the lovely feedback! It is much appreciated! Please keep it up!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

A day before the Citadel meetings.

Transportation had already been arranged, the security detail briefed again and again. The heavy-armed angaran soldiers she saw on occasion were the Heskaarl, special forces. Almost all of them would be on the transports.

Probably for the best, because there would be a lot of people, both inside and outside the Citadel, and sometimes foe was hard to tell from friend. The more guns, the better, Sara supposed.

Those going to the Citadel had already packed for the two-day long summit.

The Hyperion crown had their talking points, all about unity and mutually beneficial alliances. The human representatives in the Citadel, well, they weren't as thrilled.

"I don't particularly care if they agree with me or not," Sara said.

Sarissa shrugged. The queen of Leusinia's figure stood in the vid-call, posture tight, arms crossed over her chest. She had requested Sara contact her before the meeting, which Sara quickly obliged.

She was a solider as much as she was a queen, previously the bodyguard of the previous queen and head of the Leusinia militia. Her warrior attitude always ruffled some feathers, especially of those who detested fighting or at least didn't want to incur the wrath of their constituents when things started blowing up.

Thankfully, there were only few and very minor incidents where that had shone through, and Sara had been too young at the time to truly appreciate them.

"These meetings are unprecedented," Sarissa marveled. "I have had meetings about the meetings for the past week in preparation."

"I understand. It was very short-notice."

"And this whole marriage business. Well, I am glad Alec caught that bullet before I had to, with all due respect."

Sara allowed herself to smile a little. Evfra's words bounced around in her head. Perhaps Sarissa was happy to have avoided making a lifelong (or lifelong in the life of an angara) commitment like a marriage.

"Yes, well, it's a life-changing experience. Not anything I am used to."

"You are making a decision on behalf of your people. A queen does what is best for her people."

"And you do that every day. You have my respect for that."

Sarissa waved her hand sharply in the air, dismissive.

"Eh, keep it. What I do is nothing special."

Well, okay. Sara sucked in a breath. She had prepared herself for this conversation, keeping her engagement in mind.

The angara would become her people, right? She might as well start thinking as one of them. Liaison, negotiator.

"What are your plans for the Citadel meetings?" Sara asked.

"I will send Vederia as my representative," Sarissa replied. "As of now, I am undecided on what sort of agreements we will have with Heleus."

Okay, she wasn't taking a hardline approach one way or the other. Sara supposed that was a good thing, though she wished that Sarissa had immediately expressed in favor of direct involvement with the angara.

"I have spoken to General Evfra. I believe he will request military support from all the Nexus kingdoms, including the united forces from the Citadel. Will you have people to spare?"

At that, Sarissa's jaw tightened.

"That is out of the question."

Sara blinked. Did she hear her correctly? The soldier, saying no to a fight that could only be considered as righteous, if not full of opportunity.

"It would be of benefit to both Leusinia and Heleus if the kett are taken care of as soon as possible. Think of the opportunities that could come when Heleus is at peace again."

Sarissa's expression didn't change. If anything, she just seemed to get angrier and Sara didn't understand why.

It didn't make any sense. Sarissa was always the one who dove headfirst into situations that would have a great payoff if they worked out. A comprehensive alliance with Heleus would be one of those situations.

"Farewell, Princess Sara. I hope to see you soon."

Sarissa blipped out of existence and Sara couldn't help but feel a bit put-off. She got _hung up on_.

She knew she said something wrong but she wasn't expecting her words to have any sort of negative effect. Sarissa, in theory, was supposed to agree with her.

Wrinkling her nose, Sara stood up and headed to Sam's office.

It was adjacent to Alec's office, tiny in comparison to a king's office. The door was shut when she arrived but Sam could be heard rifling through papers when Sara approached the door.

She knocked.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Sam. I need to talk to you about something."

Sam opened the door.

"Ah, hello, my lady. Please, come in."

Sara shuffled into his office.

While significantly smaller than Alec's, Sam's office was all light where Alec's was dark and earthy colors.

The shelves were covered with holographs of ships and famous landmarks. What wasn't taken up by those was taken up by books and datapads.

His light brown desk was shiny and covered in neat stacks of papers. He was a stickler for the old days of paper and pens, though he relied on his datapads more often than not.

"What can I do for you, my lady?"

Sam sat down at his desk, serene. Sara sat on the chair across from him, folding her hands in her lap.

"Sam, is something happening in Leusinia that I should know about?"

His head tilted to the side, eyebrows shooting towards his hairline.

"What makes you ask such a question?"

Sara shrugged.

"I was just vid-calling Queen Sarissa. She seemed to react rather weirdly when I asked her about allying herself with Heleus. And she hung up on me."

Sam pursed his lips. "Was there anything specific about what you said?"

"Well, it was when I mentioned her sending troops to Heleus to help with the war effort. That really seemed to set her off. She would be the type to jump on that opportunity, right?"

The more Sara thought about it, the less it made sense to her.

Sam sighed, "Yes, she would."

"So, why the change?"

Sam tapped his fingers on his desk, hesitating to speak whatever was on his mind. That definitely piqued Sara's interest. Sam was usually very forthright in his answers and even his non-answers.

"Is something wrong?" Sara pressed.

Sam sighed, shuffled some papers before setting them back down on the desk in a perfectly straight pile.

"You are too young to remember the coup in Leusinia."

He was right. 20 years was hardly anything to the asari, but it was almost all of Sara's life up to that point. Sara remembered being all but dragged to a safe room and not leaving until the danger had passed. No one had known at the time if the asari rebels would attack the other kingdoms.

"You're right, I was. What does that have to do with anything?"

Sam paused, clearly weighing his words.

"There have been whispers. About Sarissa's rise to the throne after the late Queen Ishara."

Queen Ishara died during that short coup that rocked the entire planet. Her family and allies succeeded in quashing the uprising. Sarissa succeeded her and was expected to rule for centuries.

"What about it?" Sara asked.

"Some are saying that Sarissa had orchestrated the coup against Ishara. That she is not the legitimate ruler of Leusinia."

Sara blinked dumbly. "Oh."

Well, that was something that she probably should have been aware of earlier. If her legitimacy was being called into question, well, that was going to be an issue. Either faction would likely solicit Alec for support, perhaps even using threats or subterfuge to get what they want. And the threat of a civil war wouldn't help anyone, especially when Heleus was already dealing with a war themselves.

Sara sighed heavily.

"So, I'm guessing the optics of her sending people, maybe those speaking out against her, to Heleus to fight a war aren't exactly optimal," she muttered.

"That's my assumption, yes."

"Okay," Sara sighed. "I'll keep an eye on it."

Sam hummed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"So, do you know what you're going to say at the meetings if you are invited to speak?"

Right, that. Something she totally did work on for the best several days.

At the pained expression on her face, Sam rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You're lucky that I drafted some things for you that you could say. Tailor them to your own opinions if you so desire."

He handed her a datapad with a line of bulletpoints.

"Thanks."

"I really hope you actually work on it. I'll send it in an email."

"I will, Sam. Don't worry."

…

She promptly got distracted. But, in her defense, it wasn't really her fault.

Okay, maybe a little.

As Sara retraced her steps back to her room, a young angara child wandered down the hall. She looked very small under the tall ceilings, though she stood at the height of a seven or eight-year-old human child.

"Hey there," Sara called out.

The girl froze and turned around, and Sara made sure to keep her pace towards her as slow and nonthreatening as possible.

"Hi," she said, waving a hand in greeting, almost hesitantly.

She looked over the human before her, and her eyes widened.

"Ah—good morning, Princess!" she squeaked, bowing low at the waist.

While she wasn't sure if the girl was doing that out of complete sincerity or as a joke, Sara nodded as she stopped in front of her, kneeling down to get eye-level.

"My name is Sara. What's your name?" Sara asked.

The girl wrung her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet. No, the low bow was definitely serious. She was nervous.

"Onaha vii Esel," the girl said.

"Onaha?"

nodded.

"That's a pretty name. How are you liking Hyperion?"

Onaha relaxed slightly, but she shrugged jerkily.

"It's okay. My papa wanted to take me with him."

Sara couldn't help but grin. A whole new planet, and this kid didn't give a shit. Her honesty was refreshing.

"What does your papa do?"

Onaha straightened a little, chest puffing out in pride.

"He's Minister of Trade for Voeld."

Sara remembered being introduced to someone with that rank. Did he have Onaha with him at the time? It seemed like something she would have remembered.

Regardless, Onaha had a definite sense of pride over her father's position, each word of his title carefully pronounced. Sara was never afforded that sense of pride in her family. Alec and Ellen wanted their children to be proud and vain, that even if Sara had said something like Onaha had, innocuous and innocent as it was, she would have been quickly corrected.

Sara shook herself slightly and focused on the little girl in front of her. Onaha was still nervous, but not as much as mere minutes before.

"Are you lost?" Sara asked.

Onaha shook her head. "No, I'm just exploring."

"I like exploring too. When my father would take me to Natanus or one of the other palaces, I would walk around by myself for as long as I could. One time, my father sent a search party to find me because I was gone for so long."

Onaha's eyes widened. "Did you get in trouble?"

Sara grinned conspiratorially. "No, I didn't."

She had indeed gotten in trouble, but since Alec was so busy with negotiations with the salarian king that nothing more than a glare and a scolding was her punishment.

"Sometimes, you can find cool things when the adults aren't the ones dragging you around."

Onaha nodded in agreement.

"Want to see something cool?" Sara asked.

Onaha stopped for a moment and nodded.

"Okay."

Sara stuck out her hand and Onaha closed one lilac hand around her fingers.

"I'll lead the way, hm."

Onaha shrugged again. "I guess. I don't know where we're going."

Outside of a few housekeepers who smiled indulgently at the two of them, nobody really disturbed them. She distantly wondered where Jaal was and what he was doing.

Sara led Onaha to her quarters and to her shelf covered with Prothean artifacts.

"Whoa, what are they?" Onaha asked.

"These are Prothean artifacts. Do you know what the Prothean were?"

Onaha shook her head and Sara couldn't help but be excited to tell this young angara all about something new.

"They were an ancient people who lived on Nexus, before humans or any of the other species you see today."

"What happened to them?"

Sara shrugged. "Nobody really knows."

It was an unfortunate point of fact. Nobody really knew the origins of the Nexus species either, which led to plenty of debate, both on and off the battlefield, over who had rights to what was left behind and how much.

"When I'm not in the palace, I look for what the Prothean left behind."

Sara scanned the shelves and picked out one of the artifacts.

"Careful," Sara warned as she handed the piece to Onaha.

"We think it's from a vase," Sara explained. "See, there's where the handle starts."

Onaha turned it in her hands. Time had dulled the sharp points from the broken pottery, so she didn't have to worry about cutting herself.

After a moment, she handed it back to Sara. Sara put it back on the shelf and fetched the next one, ready with an explanation.

Onaha was patient, both asking questions only a child would ask and questions that belied her age.

Noticing that Sara was avoiding the artifact sitting on the bottom shelf, Onaha picked it up and held it out to Sara. "What is it?"

Sara looked at the piece and shrugged.

"We never could figure it out. There was a lot of the same in the place we were digging at, but I was allowed to take this piece."

Onaha turned the piece over in her hand, then turned it back. "Looks like a wall."

Sara's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "A wall?"

Onaha nodded.

"Papa sometimes goes to the temple near home. Looks shiny like this."

Her small fingers traced over the grooves.

"Huh," Sara mused.

She had done a little research into the ancient people that lived on Heleus, the Jardaan. But, there were very few pictures of any ruins or traces of their existence and it really hadn't been her area of expertise to begin with. A connection between the Prothean and the Jardaan could be something to look into later.

"Thank you for telling me. Maybe when I visit Heleus for myself, I could see the temples."

Onaha looked up at Sara in shock, setting the stone back on the shelf.

"You're gonna visit my home?"

"Of course. I'm going to be marrying a prince of Heleus. So, I should visit Heleus, right?"

She looked baffled for a moment, then excited. "You're marrying a prince?"

"Yes. In a few months."

"Do you love him?"

The question closed around her chest like a vice. Because the answer was no. She didn't love Jaal ama Darav, and she was going to marry him. "I barely know him," she replied, voice strained.

"Well, my mama said that you marry someone if you love them. Mama and Papa love each other, so they are married."

Sara smiled, albeit bitterly. Onaha probably couldn't tell the difference.

"Come on, I'll read you a book if you want," Sara offered.

Onaha considered this change of subject, tongue peeking out as her mouth twisted.

"Is it a storybook?"

…

Onaha snored lightly in her lap.

Sara delicately set the datapad on the table and giggled softly to herself.

Of course, she wasn't surprised that Onaha would fall asleep to her reading her dissertation. Sara thought the subject was interesting, even though it was her words being read back to her.

The girl slept peacefully and Sara couldn't help but follow in her footsteps.

She awoke to a finger poking her face. Her dreams had been quiet: a trek down an unknown path to an unknown destination. It should have made her nervous, but she was at peace. Someone had been walking behind her, footsteps barely audible.

The finger at her face got more insistent.

"Whu—"

Sara opened her eyes and Onaha was perched in her lap with an expression full of guilt.

"Sorry for falling asleep, Princess Sara," she mumbled.

Sara straightened and rolled her shoulders as Onaha climbed out of her lap to sit next to her.

"It's okay, Onaha. We both took naps."

"I'm still sorry, though."

Sara patted her shoulder.

"I accept your apology. Now, do you wanna go have something to eat?"

Onaha pursed her lips and shook her head politely. "No, it's okay. I'd like to see my papa."

Sara nodded. "Alright, let's go find your papa."

They found someone else first. Sara internally groaned that she might have to subject Onaha to witnessing a potentially awkward exchange between Jaal and Sara as he walked toward them. Onaha had other ideas, as she inhaled a gasp in surprise.

"Hi, Uncle Jaal!"

Onaha rushed forward into Jaal's arms, who lifted her up and gave her a hug before setting her down.

"Did you make a friend, little one?"

Onaha bounced up and down, excited to reveal what she had been up to for the past couple hours. "Princess Sara showed me her Pro—protein collection," she said.

Sara hid a smile behind her hand at the mispronunciation. Stars, she loved this girl already.

"Did she?" Jaal asked.

Onaha nodded again with a toothy grin. "And now we're gonna find Papa!"

Jaal nodded knowingly.

"I just saw your father. He's where he's been sleeping. Do you know where that is?"

She thought for a moment before nodding.

"There's a big picture of a pretty lady near the door."

"Do you think you can find it from here?" Sara asked.

It was meant to be completely non-patronizing, since she was seriously concerned that this kid was going to end up somewhere she wasn't supposed to and there would be a whole to-do about security.

"Yes, I can! I have a good memory!"

"Alright, off you go, then."

Onaha grinned and quickly wrapped her arms around Jaal's leg.

"Bye, Uncle Jaal."

She pulled away to turn to Sara, waving, shy once again. "Bye, Princess Sara!"

"Bye, Lady Onaha."

Onaha brightened with a gasp and bounced away.

The two of them watched as she got further down the hall and eventually disappeared as she made a turn.

"Uncle Jaal, huh?" Sara asked, a smile on her lips.

"Her father is my cousin, Tajo."

"Minister of Trade for Voeld, yes?"

Jaal blinked in shock. "Yes. How did you—?"

"Onaha told me," Sara said, feeling no small amount of pride that she could show off her ability to remember her people.

"Ah."

"I assume he will be making a speech to the Citadel tomorrow."

"Yes. He has been preparing since before we even arrived on Nexus."

And she didn't prepare at all. Classy.

"I wish him luck."

"I will let him know."

"And you? Are you ready?"

Jaal shrugged. "I am nervous, I will admit. I am not used to speaking in public."

"I'm the same, not gonna lie," Sara admitted, smiling self-deprecatingly. "But, I'm good at winging it. We can be nervous together, I guess."

Jaal shifted where he stood. He had a good voice, and could probably be commanding when he needed to be.

"We are in this together. I hope to be your ally in this. Your friend, even," Sara continued.

Sara bit the inside of her cheek after the last syllable left her mouth. It felt like a confession.

Little Onaha has likely known nothing but war her entire life, though Voeld, as Sara understood, was relatively sheltered from most of the war.

Sara would be fighting for her. And for her future children, as Evfra had said.

"I am glad to count on you," Jaal said.

He reached out his arm, just like when they had met, which wasn't that long ago but also felt like a long, long time.

Sara smiled and tapped her arm against his, inner arm to inner arm. He smiled back, a tiny thing.

"Stay strong and clear, Princess Sara," Jaal said.

She nodded. "Likewise, Prince Jaal."

That night, Sara pored over the notes Sam had sent her, tweaking them so they were in her own voice.

The urge to go to Jaal's room and check her notes with him was strong, turning her stomach to anxious knots, but she ignored it.

…

 **-jazz hands-**

 **All feedback is much appreciated! Really. Seriously.**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heyoo everyone! I'm still writing away, but this is the last chapters I wrote and finished before I started at my job, so please don't be surprised if updates aren't weekly anymore.**

 **Thanks for all the feedback! It really helps me keep motivated.**

 **Enjoy!**

…

Two cups of coffee and one last-minute read-through of her notes later, she was on the transport to the Citadel. While she didn't have to worry about forgetting anything, as there was to be a teleprompter with her notes if she was to speak, she still wanted to at least look like she knew what she was talking about.

She was prepared for pushback from the Citadel, maybe even the other kingdoms, if that conversation with Sarissa told her anything.

There was going to definitely be the isolationists that would hate everything she would say. Each kingdom had their immigrant populations of angara, in various stages of integration.

The war had gone on for years and years.

She took in a couple deep breaths as she nodded to the guards at the entrance of the transport. Already, Jaal, Evfra, and several angara were already aboard. Small aircraft were making passes around the palace, waiting for the main transport to take off for them to slide into the role of escort.

Cora sulked in a corner. Her beret was askew, but other than that she was in perfect dress uniform. Sam was aboard as well, talking to the pilot.

"Hey there, my lady," Drack grunted, walking up the ramp.

"Bringing the big guns to protect us, huh?" Sara asked with a grin. At least there was one person on board she knew was on her side for sure.

"Your dad insisted. Besides, I would like to see Kesh."

"How is she doing?"

Drack's response was interrupted the last couple humans hopped on board and the engines hummed to life.

"Some punk named Vorn is trying to court her. He even asked me for my _blessing_."

"Aw, that's sweet."

Drack swatted at the air, as if he was mimicking knocking Vorn's outstretched hand away. "He's watching too many human melodramas. As if me saying 'no' would get Kesh to stop seeing him."

Sara shrugged, unwilling to argue with him. Kesh was good at what she did in the Citadel, taking advantage of the position she had for the sake of her people. If she wanted something done, she would get it done.

And if what she did rankled Tann in any way, all the more reason she would do it. While it was unlikely she would make a decision just to spite her grandfather, she wasn't going to be deterred if she was in love with Vorn.

She had a feeling she would hear more about this later.

Sara sat down in one of the many chairs, removed from everyone but placed just so she could catch Jaal in the corner of her eye.

His attention was split between his datapad and his fellow angara, speaking in hushed tones that couldn't be understood over the hum of the ship's engines.

Sara spent her time staring off into space, both going over what she was going to say in her mind and praying to any god that would listen that they don't get blown out of the sky by a rebel group or racist malcontents.

The three hours blended together.

Citadel craft joined the Hyperion-Heleus escort about 30 minutes out from the Citadel. At that point, it would take a cosmic coincidence for the transport to be taken down.

Her hands still clenched at the armrests.

Dread filled Sara's mind and turned her stomach as the Citadel, in all its glory, loomed ahead.

These meetings were of great importance and if they broke down over the course of the party's stay, it could be catastrophic for both sides. Not even Jaal and Sara's marriage would suffice in satisfying the politicians on both sides, not alone.

The pilot's voice chimed over the intercom, "We will be landing shortly. Please prepare to disembark."

Sara exhaled heavily through her nose. Okay, showtime. It was going to be fine. Totally.

Jaal and Sara stood side-by-side as the ship made its descent.

He looked almost the same as the day Sara had met him, complete with the rofjinn, decorative shotgun, and the headdress.

Her fingers itched to touch it, but she stifled it.

At least, what she may be lacking in preparedness for a potential speech, she made up for it in looking regal and professional. Alec would probably beat her over the head if she had told him that, but he was far behind her in Hyperion.

Her circlet was a little less ostentatious than a piece of the family jewels. She wore a light grey pantsuit, figuring that wearing a dress would be inappropriate.

There was a crowd—well-wishers, protestors, and media—on the runway, lining the path into the Citadel, the path guarded by the Nexus militia.

Jaal turned to her and offered his arm, just before the doors started to open.

"Shall we, my _fiancée_?"

Sara looked at his arm and looked back up at him, before resting her hand on the crook of his bent elbow. She wondered if he could feet her heart racing from where her pulse point pressed against his arm.

He was very warm, like a radiator.

They stepped out first, together.

Instantly, there was an uproar of cheers and yelling.

"Well, they look happy to see us," Jaal murmured.

"Yes."

The two of them waved down at the crowd, louder cheers following the act.

They descended the steps down to the ground, the rest of transport's occupants following several steps behind. She didn't cling on him too tightly, though she did have to rely on him a bit to keep her balance. She was already regretting wearing heels.

The crowd kept shouting: their names, questions, just general yelling.

They weren't to take questions from reporters, so Sara and Jaal kept walking, smiling and waving on occasion.

"Unclean! Unclean!" came one voice from the fringes, just loud enough that Sara could hear them.

"This union is unclean!"

Sara clenched her jaw and kept moving. She wasn't surprised. Slightly disappointed, but not surprised.

She let the positive cheers and the less-pointed criticisms drown that person's words out. Jaal made no indication that he had heard them.

Inside the Citadel, there were Citadel workers and press members alike lining the hallways, making the path to the assembly room intuitive, though Sara already knew exactly where she was supposed to go.

Sara let go of Jaal's arm, turning to look at him.

"This is where I leave you," she murmured. "Good luck."

In another life, she would have kissed his cheek for good luck. If this were a normal relationship, if they were normal people.

"I wish you luck as well," he said.

The angara would be in a separate box from the Hyperion delegation, just as the other kingdoms and the Citadel representatives would be in separate boxes from each other.

It didn't take long after her filing into her designated seat to realize that she would miss his presence, though he was barely a stone's throw away in the same room.

The angara and the Citadel representatives had the largest boxes, while the four kingdoms had the smaller ones, enough to fit ten people each.

And then there was the audience, all carefully screened for weapons and seated above and away from the assembled government officials.

A lot of people, enough talking that it was almost deafening with the acoustics in the huge room.

She looked into the asari box to see Vederia sitting stiffly in her chair.

"Hi Sara!"

Sara jerked in surprise, eyes roaming the room for the source of the voice. A flurry of frantic movement gave her a hint to look up to a certain asari. Peebee's voice could barely be heard over the noise, but her enthusiastic waving from the audience made up for it.

Sara barely had time to wave back when the hammering of a mallet on a gavel signaled the start.

Tann took the head spot among the Citadel officials, all eyes now on him. "We thank you all for taking time to come here today."

"This is a momentous occasion for the people of both Nexus and Heleus to come together, united in friendship."

Drack snorted inelegantly. His feelings were clearly shared by some others in the room, if the shifting and the quiet huffs told her anything.

If she didn't know Tann and how he was, she would have felt bad that any attempt he made at being civil was met with ridicule and distrust.

Tann carried on as if nothing had happened. "Today's meeting shall primary focus on trade. Any discussion diverging from this topic are to be avoided."

'Avoided' meant that any change in subject would get shouted down or lead to censure. They would probably be more lenient with the angara—though knowing Tann she doubted it—but with the other Nexus species, they would definitely enforce the rules.

"The angara delegation shall begin with their opening statements."

Tann leaned away from the mic and relaxed into his chair.

There was a quiet shuffling as the angara moved around.

Sara's throat leapt to her throat when Jaal stepped forward. She didn't know Jaal was going to be making the opening statement for his people.

He adjusted the microphone, cleared his throat, and his voice filled the room.

"Delegates and representatives of Heleus, on behalf of all angara, I thank you for this meeting. My name is Prince Jaal ama Darav, son of Queen Sahuna ama Darav and the late King Arsho of Havarl. Many of you may not be aware of the various regions of Heleus. Havarl houses ancient architecture, forests full of life, and 100 million angara. It is my home, a beautiful place."

Havarl has lost a fourth of its land and its king to the war with the kett, a war that has gone on for decades and, in the opinion of all angara, many decades too many. It cannot be mistaken that there is a dominant feeling of discontent for our sister planet, and many feel taken advantage of and ignored as a war threatens to end all angaran life."

"We come bearing no ill will. As Representative Tann had said, this is a great occasion to communicate and negotiate for the benefit of our peoples, all our peoples."

Tension ran through the entire room. Sara could feel it keenly.

She knew nobody on Nexus wanted to be called out about their negligence on the kett war and Jaal did just that. She had to hope that ego didn't keep the Nexus from making any changes.

"I invite the Minister of Trade for Voeld, Tajo vii Esel, to speak on our behalf."

Jaal backed away from the mic to sit down, a dark purple-skinned angara stepped forward.

Tajo stepped forward. He had that same thoughtful line in his brow that reminded her of Onaha.

"Thank you. It is no secret that one of the most important ties between Heleus and Nexus is mining and manufacturing. Heleus has the largest share of metals between the two planets.

"The angara have traded with Nexus for centuries, but the amount of raw ore that is exported to Nexus is not equal to the goods and services imported from Nexus."

He paused as murmurs rippled through the audience.

"In this time of war, where the angara face an existential threat, we must be receiving more from Nexus."

Tann leaned into the mic, his voice mingling with the fading echoes of Tajo's. "I do not see the inequalities, Minister. Though there will always be some imbalance in imports and exports, the numbers are still even enough that any modification of standing agreements are unnecessary."

Tajo immediately responded, as if he had predicted that someone would make that exact point. "The amount of angara killed by the kett in a war where we are not adequately supported by Nexus say otherwise. We give you metals that could be used for our own people and at a bargain, out of good will."

Evfra stepped forward to stand beside Tajo, almost crowding him out. "I agree with the Minister. If trade is to continue with Nexus, either the price of ore will increase or we will demand higher compensation, say, through the deployment of Nexus troops."

There was a burst of muttering, both in agreement and in disagreement.

"We will not spill Nexus blood on Heleus!" came a shout from one of the people in the audience.

"We will keep order in this assembly or we will throw out all observers to watch the broadcast outside if we have to!" Kesh bellowed.

The audience quickly shut up.

"Let me remind you, General de Tarshaav, that there is no standing agreement that would allow for the deployment of Nexus troops to Heleus," Tann said.

"That is why we are here, is it not? To negotiate a deal?"

Though Tajo struck a more conciliatory tone, Evfra spoke up again.

"We are not above issuing ultimatums, Representative."

Before Tann could say something probably inflammatory, Addison, one of the human representatives, cleared her throat into the mic before speaking: "The Hyperion delegation. I ask for your opinion on this matter, especially since it was Hyperion who is housing the angara delegation and facilitating these meetings."

Sara felt a thousand eyes turned to her, sending her heart to her throat. She stepped forward, close to the mic. Her talking points appeared in the teleprompter.

"We agree with Minister vii Esel and General de Tarshaav. In the name of a successful war effort against the kett, the angara should be supported by any means necessary. That's the only path we can take."

It should have been very obvious what her position was, but there was still a lot of muttering and grumbling in the wake of her words.

A young turian loudly thumped her hand against her microphone, getting everyone's attention.

"Princess Sara, are you considering sending Hyperion soldiers to Heleus?"

"We are tabling this conversation for a later time, Princess Palia," Addison said. "Let me remind all parties that we are focusing on trade today."

"Fine. What about the increased prices on ore?"

"With all due respect, Princess Palia—"

"All due respect, nothing," Palia spat, clearly taking offense to whatever patronizing statement was about to come out of Tann's mouth. "My fathers have taught me many things. There is no need to treat me like a child, Representative Tann.

"Natanus stands to lose if there are increases in ore prices. We have the greatest amount of weapons manufacturing, all requiring ore from Heleus."

There was a burst of yelling at that, both Citadel representatives and the asari delegates interjecting with statistics on who benefitted most from Heleus ores and how.

"The Paarchero delegation requests to speak," Lumont Hayjer's voice cut through the din.

He had a lot to prove as the would-be successor of Queen Zevin Raeka. While Paarchero was unlikely to be as hardline as Tann, salarians were never very consistent on their policies regarding any species that weren't salarians.

"I don't believe the Hyperion delegation can be objective with these proceedings. They already have much to gain with the upcoming marital alliance. No other Nexus kingdom stands to gain except for Hyperion."

Never mind, turned out they were going to be just as hardline as Tann.

Sara stiffened, immediately jumping to her own defense. "I—we can be objective. All of the Nexus kingdoms have been running on surpluses for the past several years and surely can afford an increase in price on Heleus ores."

"And will you go on with your plan if Hyperion acts alone?" Vederia asked, finally speaking up.

"If no one will support us, then we will gladly take the moral high ground and lord this over you for all time."

"Angara forgive, but we do not forget," Jaal boomed.

And that set the tone for the next several hours.

…

 **:D Politics! Well, make-believe politics.**

 **All feedback is appreciated! Really! Don't be shy!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	11. Chapter 11

**:D**

 **We back! Thanks for all the feedback for the last chappie! I really appreciate it!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

"Stars above, this is why I hate coming to the Citadel," Sara breathed, flinging her arm over her eyes.

She had found rest on a couch in her suite while Sam milled about, the arguments and shouting from her fellow delegates still ringing in her ears.

"You are like your father in that way," Sam said, with no small amount of amusement.

"And tomorrow we're supposed to talk about _military_ with these people? We could barely get the ghost of a trade agreement completed during the general talks."

Little got done in the main meeting, but that was expected. Hyperion's trade officials were in smaller meetings now, Sara's role as spokesperson and Alec's proxy done for now. Now everyone knew what Hyperion's views and expectations were.

There was a frantic knocking at the suite door and Sara lifted her head up to watch Sam walk towards the source of the noise. She couldn't be too alarmed: nobody could get onto the floor without authorization.

Sam opened it to a flurry named Peebee.

"Princess Sara-a-a-a!" she called out. "Hey, Sam, howzit going? It's been a while."

Sam stood aside to let Peebee in. "Good evening, Miss B'Sayle."

"Oh, for Goddess' sake, its Peebee, Sam! We've known each other for long enough!"

Sara spoke up to get the asari's attention, "Peebee?"

Peebee hadn't bothered to dress up or anything for attending the meeting or for meeting up with Sara. She was in her jacket and pants, both worn from use and dirt and bleached from sunlight.

She bounced over, flopping onto the couch across from Sara. "Hey, Princess! Goddess, that was a real wreck. I dunno how royals like you do it."

Sara sighed. "Trust me, I don't know either."

The asari bounced once, twice, on the couch. "So, where's your boyfriend? I wanna meet him! I still can't believe you're cleaving yourself in an arranged marriage of all things, by the way, but he's definitely a looker, so I can't say you're _that_ dumb for doing it."

Jaal probably would've taken that as a compliment, as backhanded as it was.

"I guess you're right," Sara mumbled.

Peebee jumped on the statement. "Right about which part? You think he's handsome? You _like_ him?"

Sara flushed red.

"Well, objectively speaking, he is handsome."

Peebee looked like the answer didn't satisfy her, but barreled on. "I can't wait to meet him! Where is he?"

"He's probably on the floor above us, where the rest of the angara are. We have to go together, since you don't have the security clearance to get there by yourself."

"I'm sure I could've found I way to do it myself."

Sara ignored the pang of jealousy that bolted through her at the idea of Peebee and Jaal alone. Not that Peebee would be actually interested, right?

"Doubt it," Sara muttered. "Sam, will we be okay to leave?"

"Aw, asking him for permission."

Both Sara and Sam ignored Peebee.

"I see no problem with that, my lady. As long as you're back for dinner in 2 hours."

"Awesome!" Peebee cheered, grabbing Sara's arm and yanking her to her feet. "Let's go!"

Sara trailed behind Peebee to the elevator. The guard attending it glared at Peebee but immediately snapped to attention when she saw Sara.

"My lady," she said. "May I ask where you are going?"

"Just to the next floor to speak with the angara delegates."

The guard stepped aside. "Very well, ma'am."

Sara must have sighed a little too loudly the moment the elevator doors closed because Peebee eyed her suspiciously.

"You nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous?"

Peebee shrugged. "I dunno. Nervous to see your fiancé again?"

Was she nervous? She was just becoming more and more aware of the flips her stomach made every time Jaal spoke to her or was in the room with her.

"We've only been away from each other for half a day," Sara sighed. "I'm not that clingy."

Silence again.

"So, been on any good digs lately?" Sara asked, trying to change the subject, as clunky and obvious as it was.

Peebee perked up, "We did uncover a collapsed wall in one of the northern forests. It's slow-going, but we have the site protected."

Sara sighed. "I wish I had been there to see it."

"I've been saving the good stuff for when you have a break. This shit's so delicate we need to go at a snail's pace so we don't destroy whatever might be under the rubble. By the time you get out, we'll be getting the good stuff."

Peebee shut her mouth as they approached the guarded doors. And, well, Sara had her heart shoot to her throat.

"Princess Sara and…guest," one of the guards greeted with a nod of deference.

"Is Prince Jaal in?" Sara asked, sweetly as she could.

"Yes, he is," the guard confirmed. "One moment please, I will see if he is busy."

"Well, shouldn't his fiancée be able to see him any time she wants?" Peebee asked, staunching ignoring the elbow Sara poked at her ribs.

Pretending not to hear, the guard ducked into the room, leaving the other staring blankly forward.

"Quit being difficult, Peebs," Sara hissed.

"I'm not being difficult! I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Friendly is translating to annoying."

Peebee scoffed. "Well, if they can't handle me, that's their problem."

"Right."

That was why Sara was marrying Jaal. She was the sort-of-awkward diplomat who didn't rock the boat too much, usually. Of course, her whole speech to the Citadel blew her image of being only quiet and contemplative out of the water.

"Ooh, I think I hear him coming," Peebee cooed.

Sure enough, the guard came out with Jaal following him.

Something seemed to flit around in Jaal's expression when her saw her. Whatever it was, it felt positive, like he actually wanted to see her.

Peebee flounced forward to shake Jaal's hand, who looked at her, flabbergast, hand limp in Peebee's grip. Sara wanted to melt into the ground.

"Prince _J-a-aal_. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Peebee, Sara's wrangler and partner-in-crime."

The shocked expression didn't leave his face. "Crime?"

"Well, grave-robbing doesn't count as a crime if it's been millennia since anyone has lived where we dig up stuff, right?" Peebee asked redundantly.

"Right," Jaal parroted back.

Sara wished she was back in her bed.

" _Anyway_ ," Sara said. "How are you, Prince Jaal? That wasn't exactly an amazing start to the meetings."

Jaal shrugged.

"You are correct. I was expecting as much. Hopefully, Tajo will be able to gain meaningful concessions for Heleus."

"The royals have been glutting on their revenue for decades," Peebee droned, waving her hand in the air. "They deserve to be cut down to size for once."

"And Hyperion is to stand with us?"

"If what I had said earlier was any indication, yes. Of course, we are with you."

Jaal nodded.

"Good. I do not see how our arrangement could continue if Hyperion would not stand with Heleus."

Silence slammed over them, the only sounds now were breathing and distant voices coming from the still-open door.

"Awkward," Peebee hissed.

No fucking kidding. Sara wanted to evaporate and die and she wasn't entirely sure why she would be so embarrassed. Peebee being annoying was no strange thing, something Sara was even used to.

Okay, time to put an end to this. Before Peebee somehow managed to say something compromising or something that would make Jaal question Sara's faithfulness to this arrangement.

"Well, we'll leave you alone for now. I will see you at dinner, right?"

It did little to ease any tension, but Jaal quickly caught on.

"Yes. Stay strong and clear, Princess Sara, Peebee."

Jaal retreated back into the yawning hotel room and the door shut with a soft click. And it was as if the meeting had never happened, but Sara's heart beating loud in her ears told her it was very real. The two guards stared blankly forward, clearly not wishing to speak to either woman anymore. Sara turned back to the elevator, Peebee trailing half a step behind her.

"Well, I like him," Peebee said cheerily.

Sara sighed softly, rolling her eyes. "I'm never bringing you anywhere every again."

"Hey, I invited myself. Can I invite myself to your little dinner later tonight?"

Sara turned to see Peebee giving her a wide-eyed, pleading look. The answer was simple, short, and pretty damn obvious to her.

"No."

…

About ten minutes into the event, Sara almost regretted not bringing the asari firework to dinner.

It became very apparent that just about _nobody_ wanted to be there. In fact, it seemed like Drack was the only one who was happy to be there, sat with Kesh on one side and empty air on the other, his plate piled high with food.

Jaal watched her from across the table, though he wasn't making it very obvious.

"No hard feelings, Princess Sara?" Palia whispered.

She turned to the young turian who had leaned over to speak with her. Palia has sat down next to Sara early on, focusing on her food and not talking until now.

"Had to raise a stink to make it seem like we weren't going to completely go along with you immediately. Dad and Papa are both on your side."

Sara nodded with a grin. "No hard feelings, Palia."

Her mandibles clicked softly as she smiled.

"Good," she said, turning to speak to the angara across from her. "I hope you visit us in Natanus, Prince Jaal."

Jaal blinked as if startled out of his thoughts.

"Ah, yes, Princess—?"

"Palia, of Natanus. My apologies, I don't think we were officially introduced."

Jaal hummed with a faint smile.

"Princess Palia. It is good to meet you. I have heard good things about your fathers."

A good piece of flattery, enough to break the ice a little. Palia responded, "I am glad."

"I am sure we will visit soon," Jaal said.

Surely, he meant 'we' as in 'me and my fellow angara' and not 'me and Sara'.

"Don't worry, Sara," Palia chirped. "I'll make sure Tiran is somewhere far away when you visit."

Vederia coughed quietly into her glass while Sara couldn't help but blush and hope Jaal would let that little tidbit of information.

"Who is Tiran?"

Well, he didn't. Figures. Why would anything go her way today?

"Ah, nobody. Well, Sara's ex."

Jaal watched Sara, while Sara glared at Palia.

"We don't need to talk about this now," Sara mumbled.

Really. They _really_ didn't need to talk about this.

"Ah, you're right. Oops."

"A former lover?" Jaal asked, still pressing the issue.

She couldn't help but feel a bit irritated that he wouldn't let it drop. Did angara just not let these topics go?

"Yes. We, ah, well, we were together for a couple months. Then, we broke up. No big deal." Sara explained, shrugging her shoulders.

Jaal didn't look entirely convinced, for some reason. Sara couldn't understand why. Jealousy, not a chance. No damn way.

Palia cleared her throat loudly and Sara really hoped she was going to do something to change the subject.

"Yes, well, you will have a lot to see on Natanus."

Like a good diplomat, much to Sara's immense relief, Jaal moved on. Maybe it was the clearly uncomfortable expression on Sara's face.

"Your people make good use of Heleus imports."

"Yes. Our factories are the best on the planet. I hope the Heleus delegation will find the time to visit."

Sara picked at the lump of pilaf on her plate and listened to Palia and Jaal speak to each other. Palia lacked the kind of skilled diplomacy that her fathers had, but she made up for it in enthusiasm. She also lacked in tact sometimes, if the mention of Tiran made any indication.

They spoke mostly on manufacturing. Palia rattled off statistics and production numbers and employment rates to Jaal, who clearly was trying to keep up.

Sara's mind kept drifting to Tiran, against her will. She made a point of not thinking about him for the year since they had rather unceremoniously ended things.

The Hyperion princess and Natanus' premier general was an unlikely match that was kept studiously out of the media's eye until, well, it wasn't.

A good, fiery match they were, until distance and schedules didn't work out and they drifted apart. Then, Sara was found drunkenly smooching an asari at a party while rocked the headlines and, well, a senior official from Natanus wouldn't let the insult go unpunished. The punishment was the break-up, formed by a short and stiff missive from a PR person.

Well, Jaal was going to be able to look into that, now that he had a name to look for.

Sara was surrounded by talk and talk and the wine in her glass was doing little to dull the strange sense of nostalgia that suddenly settled on her chest.

"—Right, Princess Sara?" Palia's voice cut through the din in her head.

She snapped back to reality. Her pilaf had reduced to a few small grains, her fork disturbing them in a senseless pattern. She smiled tightly.

"Ah, sorry. Zoned out for a moment. What were you saying?"

The evening couldn't end any faster.

…

 **Okay maybe I need to change the tag into a medium burn or something. Whoops?**

 **All feedback is appreciated! Really! It really is!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	12. Chapter 12

**Back again with another chapter! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

The meetings reconvened with a little less pomp and circumstance than the day before. Still the press was there and there were crowds of people outside the Citadel, but there was no procession into the building.

Everyone assembled themselves into the same boxes they had before.

Palia flashed Sara a quick thumbs up.

The turian had been extremely apologetic after the dinner had ended. Sara was buzzed enough at that point that she couldn't be bothered to hold the incident over Palia. So, what, she mentioned Sara's ex and planted some kind of idea in Jaal's head.

She could only hope that when he eventually went digging, he wouldn't judge her too harshly.

She had steered clear from Jaal at the end of the dinner, only waved to him before making a beeline to her room to sleep a dreamless sleep.

Now, well, she was awake and oddly wired. And by oddly wired, her hands were shaking as they hung by her sides.

This was going to be the tense meeting. At least, that was what every news outlet on Nexus was saying.

Nobody liked talking about war, and the kett war in particular was something that was something everyone and no one talked about, at least not enough that policy changes were every really made.

Sara hadn't looked over her talking points all that much, but she had rehearsed scenarios in her head as she drank her morning coffee and tackled her hangover with painkillers. That was enough, right?

After the customary opening, reiterating what had been spoken about the day before, Tann opened with, "This is a tense time for our sister planet."

Scoffs echoed through the room. There was clearly a bit more screening of the audience this time around. There were still activists on both sides dotting the audience, ready to heckle and shout the moment was right as they did the day before. But, in general, the audience seemed to be a little less rowdy.

"I believe that is an understatement, representative," Evfra said, saying what everyone else in the halls seemed to feel.

Tann smiled indulgently, thin-lipped.

The opening continued, laced with platitudes that would look lovely in soundbytes but as a whole, not so pretty and kind.

"As the angara delegation has stated yesterday, there are talks about Nexus intervention in the kett war. It should be mentioned that none of the four kingdoms or the Citadel have made a multilateral agreement one way or another."

"The suffering of our people should be enough to convince you, representative," Evfra growled.

And…here we go. Already the air was charged with parties ready to fight.

Tann smiled indulgently. "We have our own problems to deal with, General. For example, Kadara has become a cesspool and Hyperion has done nothing to stem Sloane Kelly and her grip in the black markets."

Well, that was one way to bring up Kadara. Sara had anticipated it, but not for the blame to be thrown completely at Hyperion.

"I don't like what you are implying," Sara sniffed. "If the war was over, there would be little reason for the angara to seek refuge in Kadara."

"And the Citadel hasn't had the greatest track record either. We can take the krogan separatists on Heleus for example," Palia called out.

"I was just going to bring them up," Tann stated primly. "The krogan on New Tuchanka have been taking up angara land for centuries. I don't see why you don't demand them to fight on Heleus's behalf. Stars know they probably have nothing better to do."

The audience had mixed reactions to that, a mix of mumbles in agreement and displeased hissing. While the krogan exodus to a small barren region of Heleus had happened years before almost everyone in the room had even been born, before the war had even started, it was still a point of contention.

Sara could imagine Drack's teeth gritted in anger.

"Let's try to be civil about this, Tann. I'm sure you can find the ability in your, ah, salarian heart," Kesh said.

Some titters in the audience. Sara couldn't help but smile. While Tann was a prejudiced dick, Kesh never let him get away with it unchallenged.

"We can make an agreement as a planet. Hyperion will stand with the angara," Sara said. "I hope the human delegates of the Citadel will stand as well."

"You must realize that we must be hesitant in getting involved," Addison spoke up.

"I understand that much. But, we have an obligation to our sister planet. Thousands of angara refugees already live on Nexus."

That, at least, was an indisputable fact. There were small angara communities in each of the four kingdoms, in the annexes surrounding the Citadel, and in Kadara. It was always a big deal when a ship full of refugees arrived planetside. The refugees, usually by family, were picked by lottery, the Vessal. The refugee centers would take them in, get them situated in their new homes. Kadara was the place for the unlucky and the desperate, but most of them ended up in one of the four kingdoms, usually anywhere that wasn't Paarchero.

Sara continued, "More angara will be forced to abandon their homes and come here, if the war continues. The kett could escalate the war at any time."

And that, well, was less of a fact, more of a theory. They didn't know where the kett came from, or if there were more who would be able to come in another invading force. It was all chance, predictions. It was hard to push through legislation on predictions.

"We agree with Hyperion," Palia said. "Natanus is ready to fight for the angara."

"The turians are always ready to fight," Lumont muttered.

"I will not take such an insult against my people lightly," Palia snapped. "We will fight for righteous causes, as we have for years."

Sara bit back a smile at Palia's outburst. She had Macen's fire and willingness for debate, though not as skilled as her father.

One of the turian representatives tapped Palia's shoulder and whispered something into her ear. Palia shifted, head tilting down for a moment before leaning into her mic again.

"Ahem, my apologies for snapping at you. However, you can only watch the vids about the plight the angara are facing so many times before we are moved to act. We should still stand with the angara. From a moral standpoint."

"Lives would be needlessly lost," Lumont replied evenly.

"It's needless if you don't count the angara as worth anything," Jaal said, voice impossibly even, though she could only imagine the frustration vibrating through him.

Lumont looked to Jaal and nodded shortly.

"You make a good point, Prince Jaal. My apologies. I did not mean to imply that angaran lives aren't worth saving."

Maybe, the tension was dissipating. Just a little bit.

"We are willing to make concessions on ore prices, pending the end of this war," Evfra said.

"That was not agreed in the talks yesterday," Tann pointed out.

"Agreements can be changed. Nothing is set in stone just yet."

More rumbles. Yesterday's crowd would have been in an uproar. The tension seemed to fill every person in the room, like they were all waiting for a bomb to explode. And, well, maybe metaphorical bombs were going to go off soon.

Jaal and Evfra were both clearly tense as they stood at their dais. Sara couldn't know what they were thinking right now, but it was clear they weren't happy about how these talks were going so far.

"If the turians and the humans want war, they can have it. It makes no sense to suck in the entire planet and all her species into this," Vederia called out.

Sara felt the air woosh out of her chest. Fuck.

"Then we will be more than willing to lock the Citadel, the asari, and the salarians out of any post-war trade agreements," Evfra growled.

 _Tick, tick._

"Is that a threat, General?" Tann asked.

"If you believe it to be a threat, then be my guest. The angara would not so easily forgive such a slight in our time of need."

Sara took that opportunity to speak up. She needed to back Evfra and Jaal up, though her chest felt tight and her head light with something akin to fear.

"Hyperion will stand with Heleus. If you don't like it, if you don't stand with us, then you will accept the future consequences."

 _Tick, tick._

She could hear one of the Hyperion officials behind her hiss under their breath, like they had hoped she wouldn't take such an adversarial tone.

"And what consequences could there be? This war is the angara's, not ours!" Vederia asked, voice getting louder and more impassioned with every word.

And that just seemed to get to the heart of it, didn't it? Was it the angara's war, or everyone's war?

"If Heleus falls, the kett will come to Nexus. You can't be that stupid to believe that it won't happen!" Sara yelled.

"We will have order!" Tann said, smacking his hammer against the gavel.

Her eyes tracked around the room, but they immediately fell on Jaal. She expected Jaal to be one of the voices shouting. Instead he was staring in wide-eyed shock at her, almost like wonder.

"The kett have never and will never back down or agree to peace! Everyone here knows it!"

"Princess Sara, you will silence yourself or you will be censured."

The threat vaguely registered in her mind, but Sara felt buoyant in her anger. Vederia said something in response, but it was a fuzzy mess of angered words.

"This is ridiculous," Sara shouted, her voice almost distorted by her closeness to her mic. "You will sit around and let civilians and children die for nothing!"

People in the audience were yelling, nothing registering as actual words.

Tann cracked the mallet against the gavel once, twice, three times. "In the name of this Citadel council, I censure Princess Sara from Hyperion."

 _Boom._

The beat of shocked silence was deafening, then her mic turned off with a barely audible click. Sara bit back a storm of curses. Censure usually didn't occur until after a meeting, and usually the guest royals were given major leniency. She wanted to fight it.

Her eyes tracked around the room, looking at nothing until she found Jaal. She expected him to be yelling, or to be stiff and frozen in anger. But, his eyes found hers immediately, wide, as if he was in awe. Purple dusted the tops of his cheeks, in fury, surely.

This was ugly already, made no sense to make it uglier and turning this into more of a media circus.

Now, the audience was in turmoil, cheers and jeers filling the air. More booing, than anything else.

"Cowards!" somebody yelled from the seats, voice raised above everyone else's.

"Order! I will have you _all_ thrown out, if I have to," Tann bellowed.

That quickly shut everyone up. For once, Tann seemed to be taken seriously.

"We will continue these talks," Kesh intervened, calm as ever. "Hyperion may choose another person to represent them, but Princess Sara is not allowed to speak for the rest of the meeting."

Sara turned to her people seated behind her. Drack had his teeth bared, like he was willing to tear Tann's head off.

"Cora. You're up," she said, surprised how calm her voice sounded. She could feel her palms sweating and she wiped them against her thighs.

The older woman gave her an inscrutable look before stepping to the dais.

"I am General Cora Harper. I will represent Hyperion for the duration of these talks."

Sara sat down, looking towards the angara. Her eyes met Jaal's again. His jaw was clenched and his back was stiff. If she didn't know what kind of a man he was, she would have thought he was going to vault over the dais and strangle Tann with his bare hands.

She wished she could apologize to him at that moment. She had failed him, in a way.

"Dammit," she whispered.

The debate continued for two hours before there was a break. Even then, she couldn't reach Jaal to speak to him. Each party of delegates were restricted to their assigned reception area.

The Hyperion party somberly ate the little finger food and mumbled about their limited options now that Sara had been censured.

Cora was doing a fine job, as well as giving Sara a conspicuous cold shoulder, but the optics weren't exactly great. Alec was going to have a fit, both at Sara and at Tann.

"That piece of shit," Drack growled, between mouthfuls of deli meat.

The day ended with a tentative agreement: one battalion of Nexus troops would be sent to Heleus, largely turian and human, but the asari and salarians would provide manpower. In exchange, the previously agreed upon price increases of ore from Heleus would be reduced from a 40% to a 25% increase.

The meeting was adjourned, but there were few cheers in celebration.

…

The flight home was predictably silent and tense.

Evfra openly fumed while Jaal sat beside her, his hands clasped in his lap. From the corner of her eye, she could see him fidget every so often, like his hands were manipulating some invisible machine he was trying to fix, or take apart.

"Are you okay?" Sara whispered.

Jaal jumped, as if he had forgotten she was there.

"Ah, yes. I'm fine."

She eyed him up and down. His hands were like fists now, trying to crush what was out of his reach.

"You don't seem fine to me."

Jaal inhaled and exhaled shakily. "I had underestimated the amount of resistance we would face. Evfra seemed to have predicted it."

"The Citadel is a cesspool," Evfra growled, overhearing their conversation.

Couldn't argue with him about that.

"That's Nexus politics in a nutshell," Drack called out from where he sat.

Evfra drifted over to Drack, where the two started talking about New Tuchunka and if Drack could do anything to get the krogan to mobilize.

"I've lived for almost a thousand years," General, Drack rumbled. "Krogan don't do anything unless it's in their best interest."

"As does everyone else on this blasted planet."

"Fair."

Sara tuned them out, looking back towards Jaal. He still fidgeted a little, like he was unsure if he wanted to speak or not.

"Their behavior was unacceptable towards you," Jaal said.

Oh. Well, he wasn't wrong. Sara shrugged. "I said what I needed to say, at least, before they made me shut up. I knew the rules."

"And you broke them for us."

That seemed to carry more weight than anticipated, like a stone landing on her chest.

"Of course."

"Thank you, for doing everything in your power to help us."

Sara shook her head, the reality of the situation not letting the ballooning feeling of— _affection?_ —take her over.

"There's still more to be done."

"Princess," Cora said. "The king wishes to see you once we land at the palace."

She looked almost smug about it and Sara smiled wanly.

"Thank you, General Harper."

Cora turned back to her datapad.

"What do you think your father is going to say?" Jaal asked.

"I don't know. I know he isn't going to be happy."

"Should I go with you?"

The thought of Jaal watching as Alec lectured her like she was an errant child made her shudder.

"No. It's okay."

Sara couldn't help the tiny gasp when Jaal patted her hand. He didn't linger, just a short, kind gesture.

"It will be fine, Princess Sara."

…

Alec made it clear the moment Sara stepped into the room that nothing was ' _fine_ '. His arms crossed over his chest and his brow was tight and angry.

Scott sat in one of the chairs in the office, looking like he'd rather be anywhere in the world other than here. Sam stood in a corner behind Alec's desk, both a part of the conversation and utterly detached from it

"That was an unmitigated disaster, I hope you realize it."

Sara clenched her jaw. And, here it goes. The thorough dressing-down that she had anticipated the moment Cora had said that he wanted to see her.

Alec continued, "This wasn't anything close to what we wanted from the other kingdoms and the Citadel."

Knowing she wasn't going to get a word in edgewise if she didn't speak up now, she responded, "We were supposed to take a hardline! I followed the points Sam gave you. I assume you had a hand in those as well."

Not a satisfactory response, as Alec's expression made clear. "Don't pass the blame to Sam. You own your mistakes."

"I don't see what I did wrong."

"Well, you and Sam do not have the same opinion as I do on the angara situation."

Irritation rose in tandem with embarrassment. What did he mean to happen? What was his gameplan supposed to be? "You wanted this arrangement. The engagement. All of it. What more is there to it?"

Alec sighed. "Yes. But you revealed your cards too quickly. We needed to squeeze the other kingdoms and the Citadel. Now they know we will not settle."

"Shouldn't they have known that to begin with?" Sara asked, frustration rising in her voice.

Now, she felt duped. Like she had been set up to fail the moment she stepped into the Citadel.

"Not until the final negotiations. Your words are in line with my opinion, but the execution was lacking."

Scott took the opportunity to speak up, "Aw, lay off, Dad. She did her best. It's not her fault you didn't bother to talk to her about the meetings beforehand. She had no choice but to go to Sam."

Sara watched as Alec turned to Scott. Scott glared icily at Alec.

"You stay out of this," Alec snapped. "You were too busy _in the barracks_ to be of any help to your sister."

Sara inhaled sharply. She could easily replace those words with 'screwing around with your boyfriend', though Alec wouldn't have been so crass to say them aloud.

She wished Sam was there to mitigate Alec's temper, but he was, well, close-lipped and impassive.

Scott's face flared in a blush, now fully angry. "That's not true."

"Hm. I didn't see you volunteer to join her."

"It was a security risk for the both of us to go and you know it. You wouldn't have allowed me to go even if I asked."

He wasn't wrong. Alec barely allowed them to leave the palace, one at a time. To have something violent happen and both siblings be in the middle, was something Alec tried to avoid at all costs.

It was pragmatic, maybe out of concern for his children as well, but mostly out of pure pragmatism. Alec couldn't paint it any different.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand, please," Sara sighed, "I would rather you yell at me about something I actually did than yell at him for some bs reason."

As much as she didn't want to keep facing the brunt of her father's anger, this was hard to watch.

"Very well. Now, we have to make more negotiations with the other kingdoms."

"The salarians and asari barely agreed with the initial plan!" Sara exclaimed.

She sat there was the agreement was tediously drawn out. They were lucky that they got what they did. What more could Alec expect of them?

"They will be made to agree then. Well give them a little something in return, but Hyperion and Natanus wont bear this burden alone. I won't allow it."

Sam cleared his throat before speaking, "Perhaps we need to do a little outreach to fellow governments. Paarchero would be a good place to start."

Scott stood, wiping his hands on his pants before standing tall.

"Fine. Send me to Paarchero. Lumont is my friend. Maybe I can help."

Alec twitched, likely his instinct to say no but realizing that it was a smart move. "Fine. I'll make the arrangements. And I'll make sure you know _exactly_ what I would want done before you arrive."

Sara winced at the not-so-subtle dig.

"Sara, you will continue with getting to know Jaal. If anything, we need this engagement to go through so we have something to show for when its all over."

Well, she already knew that. But the reminder that she was doing this for her people and her people brought a pang of pain to her chest.

"I can do that," she said shortly.

Stars, she needed a nap. Operating on such little sleep couldn't be good for her. Maybe, a punishing workout and then she could sleep for a day. Something like that. It would be fine.

Alec seemed to sense her thoughts. "Sara, I'll dismiss you for now. We can talk more later. Scott, we can talk about your trip to Paarchero."

Getting that out, Sara was quick to leave. The moment the door shut behind her, the two men raised their voices at each other.

She picked up the pace until she couldn't hear them anymore.

…

 **And we are moving on** _ **yeeeeeeeeeerr**_

 **Any and all feedback is appreciated! I love every single one of your comments and they sustain me!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	13. Chapter 13

**Back again for another chapter! Now, just so you know, updates are probably going to be really slow the next month or so. Peak season is here and so I will likely be working a lot and drained during my free time.**

 **Please be patient! But lots of comments are definitely good motivators to keep me writing!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

The stream of emails grated on her patience until her hands were shaking with rage and anxiety.

There were the people who took particular offense to her comments regarding the war. People had a fucking field day over those. She refused to take them back and she knew in her heart she was right. But, hearing that she was wrong and angry, over and over, the patronizing comments were the worst. There was an email from Tann sitting somewhere in her inbox that she refused to open. She couldn't look at it. No way.

She would hop on the nearest transport to the Citadel and hit him over the head if she read whatever patronizing statement he had to say.

Enough.

Sara, as if on autopilot, strode her way out of the palace, not bothering to talk to anyone. It was like autopilot, she knew where to go.

On the southern side of the palace ground was a line of trees and hedges and flowers. It was her path, though she could have found her way even with her eyes closed.

Three marble steps to a long platform. A tomb in the same white marble. And a tall stone with a metal plate screwed on.

 _Her Majesty, Queen Ellen Ryder (nee Harlow)_

 _2130-2179_

 _Queen and Scientist_

 _Wife and Mother_

 _She sleeps under the stars_

It was unfortunate that her mother's grave was so close to home. It meant she couldn't truly ignore it or escape it. And now, she willingly gravitated towards it.

Maybe she would have been proud of Sara. Sara couldn't know for sure and that was the thing, wasn't it? Maybe everything she had done since she lost her mother's counsel was a giant disappointment to her mother's memory.

Throwing herself into her work with the Prothean, well, Sara likely inherited that from Ellen. So she couldn't be too upset about that. The short-lived affairs, definitely a disappointment.

And then there was the marriage.

Her hand stroked over the marble in a passing gesture. She stuffed her hands into her pockets after that.

She wanted to get away from the pain of her life. The countless emails that she had to answer was replaced by her regrets regarding her mother. Pain for pain.

The time moved like sludge, the only indication that time passed was the sun drifting in the sky.

Sleep found her in snatches, never enough to fully satisfy. She couldn't get comfortable, no matter how hard she tried. She moved periodically as the shadows moved, keeping herself out of the sun. She wanted to melt into the shadows and disappear. She wanted to punch the pretty, pretty marble until her hands bled.

The sun started to sink under the horizon, yellow and orange mixing with blue, slowly giving way to black.

The lamps in the garden, one by one, flickered on.

Nobody had come across her the entire day, not a groundskeeper or a guard on patrol. She was grateful for that.

But the solitude could only last for so long, now that night was falling. Footsteps told her that someone was coming. Likely a guard that was sent to look for her.

How long was she out there? Her stomach told her it had been several hours. And nobody looked for her before then? Maybe everyone made a collective agreement to not bother her.

"Princess Sara?"

She recognized the voice, calling out to her, but before her mind could catch up, Jaal stepped into the clearing and Sara physically jolted.

His eyes found hers and he seemed to brighten, though the shadows obscured part of his face.

"Princess Sara."

Still using titles. It stung a little but Sara moved past it. They were still working on it.

"Prince Jaal," she sighed, "What are you doing out here? Sunbathing?"

The sun was just disappearing beyond the horizon, the sky dark enough that it was likely most of the angara had retreated back into the palace for the night.

"Nobody knew where you were so I decided to start looking."

That spoke of concern, which warmed Sara a little. She gestured next to her.

"Sit, if you want."

She half-expected Jaal to leave. Instead, he stepped closer and sat down on the step, a few feet separating the two of them.

"This is my mom's memorial," Sara explained, almost redundantly.

Jaal looked around, taking in the white marble and the lamps under the dying sunlight.

"I remember reading about her passing. We mourned for her, though we didn't know her."

Sara nodded.

"We received official statements from your family. I looked it up."

It was difficult to read. There was a folder of condolence emails that she had shoved in the interface that she rarely dove into. Curiosity had her looking.

Sure enough, the Havarl royal family had all signed it, including Jaal. It made her feel weird that he had touched her life in a tiny way before they had ever known each other.

"I understand your pain," Jaal said. "My father was killed in a kett attack. The same day, I got this."

Jaal gestured to the scar on his head. Sara's fingers twitched with the sudden, powerful urge to touch it.

"I killed a dozen kett that day. I killed the one who killed my father myself," he said.

Sara clenched her jaw, almost unable to force the words from between her lips: "I wish I could kill the disease that took her from me. But I can't."

Jaal watched her. She knew to steer clear from the topic of illness, but there was little she could do about that.

"She was a scientist," Sara said as explanation, a confession coming out like a breath pent up in her lungs for too long. "My dad always talked about how she had taken a lot of risks. It made her the woman she was, helped her make the discoveries and advances throughout her career. And it turns out, one day, she took the wrong risk and it killed her."

Slowly, painfully, over the course of years.

Silence fell like the inky black night.

"And you? Do you have scars?" Jaal asked.

Sara's hand had drifted to her stomach, right over where she knew a crescent-shaped scar arched in her abdomen.

"Smugglers had attacked us at a dig. One of them got lucky and stabbed me."

She had fuzzy memories of the incident. Peebee and Drack brought it up from time to time when she was planning on doing something potentially stupid.

The story started rather boringly. Reports of Prothean artifacts came in from a region between the turian and salarian kingdoms. Sara quickly got a permit and assembled her team and made her way out there.

The dig itself wasn't too special. There were Prothean artifacts, in the same vein as similar digs in the region, but nothing found could have been considered a groundbreaking discovery.

Whether it was meant as a planned attack against the human royalty or a random attack on an excavation, nobody really knew.

The asari woman who stabbed her didn't have much time to celebrate or stare in horror at what she had done before Drack had peeled her off and broke her neck.

Sara almost bled out on the ground, right there.

Alec had yelled and yelled when she had regained consciousness, laid up in the little hospital in the palace. About duty, about her brother, about the throne. Less about her and the fact that she almost died, and boy, did her half-asleep, drug-addled brain not like that.

She had screeched right back, barely coherent. How her research was her passion, how getting stabbed wasn't her fault, how Alec couldn't be bothered to give a damn about her for months so why was he starting now?

Then, Alec brought up Ellen, how it had barely been two years since she had died and Sara went and almost died too. Sara dissolved in tears almost instantly, each heaving sob pulling at her stitches a little.

She didn't remember Alec doing much to comfort her. Comfort was never his forte and if Sara hadn't been exhausted out of her mind, she wouldn't have sought his comfort out anyway. He might have patted her head and cooed a little before the drugs put her back to sleep again.

"They could have taken you away before we even met," Jaal murmured.

Sara shrugged again, her skin feeling too-tight over her flesh.

"I was more likely to die slipping in a hole and busting my head open."

An attempt at levity. Jaal's brow raised. "That has happened before?"

"Once, but my knees and ankles have taken the brunt of all my dig-related injuries."

If not for medi-gel, her knees would have just been one big scar from all the times she split them open.

The stories came from there and Jaal listened. He was particularly amused at the incident where Sara found a near-intact antechamber to a Prothean temple by falling through the ceiling.

"Were you injured?"

"No, just confused and covered in dust. But I wrote half a book on that find alone. The story was a great prologue."

"Would you ever take me on one of these digs?" Jaal asked.

Sara couldn't help but blink in shock.

"You would want to go with me?"

Jaal looked away, training his eyes to the ground. "You're taking me to Kadara. It only seems fair."

"Fair," Sara echoed.

She could imagine taking him to the mountains in Leusinia, maybe to that dig Peebee had told her about days earlier. It would be an adventure for them to undertake together. Provided they survive a trip to Kadara.

"This garden reminds me of home," Jaal mused, glancing around at the now-shadowed area.

Sara watched him, a smile pulling at her mouth. "Tell me about it. Tell me about your home."

And he did.

He told her about Voeld and the lights that smeared the sky. Aya and its architecture and the lakes and the flowers.

But when he spoke of Havarl, he spoke about his family. He had lots of siblings, though not all of them were related to him by blood. His other mothers were often Queen Sahuna's advisors, each dedicated to a certain part of running their region.

A big family, both happy and quarrelsome, despite the war. Sara couldn't help but envy him a bit for that. She had a small family, which Jaal had brought up.

"I don't understand how a person could have only one sibling. It seems to lonely."

Sara shrugged. "You're right. I suppose if my father had married again after my mom had died, I could've had a little sibling. But human families are often small. My mother and father didn't have siblings so I don't have any cousins either."

Jaal regarded her for a moment and shook his head. "A pity. I think you would be someone who would fit well in a large family."

"What makes you say that?"

"You treated Onaha with kindness," Jaal said, simply. "That tells me of what kind of person you are."

Sara felt her cheeks warm up. "She's bright. It's easy for me to talk to her."

She paused, mulling over her next words.

"It's easy to talk to you, too."

Jaal turned full-body to face her as Sara realized her hands were _very_ interesting to stare at that moment.

His finger tapped her chin, resting there. She froze, her breath hitching softly at the contact.

Now, the air between them was tense as a wire.

Sara turned her body, his hand still under her chin, just barely touching. His face was close, too close. The bioluminescence in his skin was brighter than she remembered. His expression was nothing if not undefined.

His name, without the title, hung on her mouth. He drifted just a little closer, radiating that warmth that she expected of him.

The silence split at the sound of her stomach growling.

Sara jerked away, one hand coming to press against her stomach and the other covering her mouth. Burning in embarrassment.

Fuck. Shit.

The sudden let-down of it was a whiplash. How did they get that close? Should they have gotten that close?

Well, they wouldn't find out.

"I'm hungry," Sara mumbled, her face burning up, thankful the blush could be hidden by the shadows.

If Jaal was disappointed, he didn't show it. "Well, let's get you something to eat."

He stood up and held out a hand to her. If he were anyone else, she would've waved it off and gotten up by herself. And if he were anyone else, she probably would've bolted from embarrassment at that false-start of an almost-something.

Instead, she reached up and grabbed on, letting him help her to her feet.

…

 **I know I'm evil. Let me know how evil I am in the comments! :D**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	14. Chapter 14

**Man being in retail in December is one major pain in the ass. But I am so happy for all the love I got for the most recent chapter! And after being able to spend time with my family and the love of my life, now I'm back!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

The almost-kiss haunted her dreams that night, whether she liked it or not. She wasn't one to make any particularly calculated moves when it came to her love life, as any cursory glance at a gossip rag for the past 5 years would make apparent. But that, that was something she couldn't plan or even think to expect.

They weren't even dropping titles around each other and yet. And yet.

"I think I might be screwed," she breathed.

Liam typed quietly at his desk, almost exasperated at his friend. "Isn't this a good thing? You're going to be married, yeah? Happy marriages have kissing and stuff."

Sara rolled her eyes. "He doesn't even call me by my name. It's always _Princess_ Sara, not just _Sara_."

It wasn't just the words. It was the formal tone he always took when saying her name and title. She found it hard to imagine him using a familiar or affectionate tone when speaking just her name.

Liam smiled sympathetically. "Of course. Well, at least you're getting somewhere, right?"

Sara made a noncommittal noise. "I guess. It's something."

She sighed, letting silence rest over them again.

"I want to go to Kadara."

The reaction was almost instant; Liam sputtered. "You want to go _where_?"

"Kadara. You heard me. I already talked to Drack about it and he's on board."

Well, the krogan's initial reaction was a booming belly laugh, disbelieving in the human's audacity in even asking the question. But, he quickly came around to the idea, or, at least, the opportunity to cause mischief in Kadara.

"Are you crazy?" Liam asked, raising his voice.

"No. Jaal wants to visit. That's really the only reason I want to go. A humanitarian trip, to visit his people."

Liam shook his head in disbelief. "Wow. You two are practically made for each other."

"How so?"

"You both like to get yourselves into dangerous situations."

He wasn't wrong, Sara supposed. And this was going to be problematic if both of them were the reckless idiot in the relationship without an honest check on their plans. Liam was going to have to stick around to make sure the two of them didn't get themselves killed.

Liam drummed his fingers against his desk before pulling up a blank document to jot down notes.

"Alright, well, we need an itinerary, right?"

Sara nodded, grinning. "That's the spirit."

"Well, it's going to have to be as discreet as possible before you get there, at least. Obviously, there are people always watching to see what you and your family are up to."

"So, no royal escort."

"Nope. We probably will take a small naval cruiser, enough for you and your fiancé and your security detail. A few light craft as an escort, small enough to not attract too much attention. But once word gets out you're there, it's out. That's when things get difficult."

She could imagine crowds of onlookers trying to get a glimpse of them. She could also imagine more nefarious figures trying to harm them. Both things would be an issue if they were going to Kadara or to the marketplace outside of the Citadel. Safety was always an issue.

"And after that?"

"Land at the Hyperion outpost at the outskirts. Speeders from there to the Port. We can schedule minutiae later. I'm sure there are refugee groups that would appreciate a visit, but needs vetting."

"How much time will it take?"

"A couple days. Does your father know about this?"

Another noncommittal noise, Sara suddenly unable to look at Liam in the face.

Liam raised a brow. "Seriously? You're coming to me with all this and your father doesn't even know about it?"

"I was going to talk to him about it. Just wanted to make sure you were on board ahead of time."

As chief of security, Liam would be the first one Alec would talk to on the feasibility of this trip, provided Alec would even entertain the idea.

"Listen, you know I'll come with you if you go. It's not only my duty, but you're also my friend."

Sara chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Thanks Liam."

Liam grinned.

"But, I would get your chickens in a row with regards to the whole summit."

Sara groaned. "Why?"

"Well, if things go pear-shaped, there should be an agreement about the war. Shouldn't be contingent on you and Prince Jaal being alive."

"You're so morbid, Liam."

"Not morbid, realistic. You'll thank me later."

A loud exhale through her nose. She had a sneaking suspicion on what Liam was going to say next, but she hoped she was wrong.

"Well, you know who would be able to help with that?" Liam continued. "Your _best friend_ , whose office is just down the hall?"

Sara knew exactly who he was talking about. She groaned and rolled onto her face.

"Can I just not?"

…

"Cora. I wish to speak to you regarding the Citadel meeting."

She had made the short trip between Liam and Cora's offices, but they were completely different atmospheres.

Cora was in some form of parade rest, a respectful distance from where Sara stood trying not to fidget too much. This woman was older than her, more experienced than her, though Sara outranked her in every way.

Like pulling out teeth.

"Okay, let's talk," Cora said.

Sara nodded. Okay. At least she wasn't being entirely combative right off the bat.

"The talks weren't exactly what I nor my father were expecting. It was a disaster, but not as much as of a disaster as my father says."

Cora scoffed, disbelieving. "When Alec says something is a disaster, he usually means it."

And there was the hero-worship Cora had for Alec that Sara absolutely despised. Irritation took hold of her chest before she could check it. "But we have something in the books. We can work on it from there, instead of just twiddling our thumbs and doing nothing."

"That's understandable."

"We didn't get all that we wanted. You and I both know that."

"Oh, yes. The debates were _very_ spirited."

Cora hadn't been particularly spirited, but Sara wasn't going to say that out loud. She was very calm and cool, making Sara look like a loud-mouthed, inexperienced embarrassment in comparison. She did all she could, but it lacked the ability to elicit any kind of sympathy that Sara had done for the angara.

"We have to make changes to it, but I cannot make this my entire focus right now," Sara said. "My engagement with Jaal should be my main priority."

Cora twitched a little, but kept silent.

"And as my father's general, I ought to delegate this task to you. I'm making sure this is being done right," Sara insisted.

Cora nodded, though Sara could see her jaw working in what she could only assume was thinly-veiled anger.

"Do you think I won't do what is right for Hyperion?" Cora asked.

Defensive. That's not what Sara wanted. "That's not what I'm worried about. I want to make sure what we do benefits the angara as much as possible."

"I worry about Hyperion first."

"Well, I have to worry about both. I consider it a privilege to worry about both."

She drummed her fingers on the windowsill, taking the excuse to not look at Cora for a little while.

"Alec appointed me for Hyperion," Cora pressed.

Another spike of irritation. Was Cora trying to be daft on purpose just to be annoying? "I really shouldn't have to explain that being appointed for Hyperion means being appointed for Hyperion's _interests_ too."

Isolation was all well and good until they needed help. And who would help someone who shunned themselves from the rest of the planet?

"Well, that is not how Alec put it."

Alright, figures. Sara was just going to have lousy luck for the foreseeable future with nothing cooperating with her.

"You're my father's general. But, you're not his daughter."

She knew she had to keep her head. The moment she lost her temper was the moment she lost the argument.

The twitch in Cora's lip seemed to say otherwise, that the victory was slowly coming to Cora's hands. Because Sara was jealous, or could be seen as being jealous.

Maybe it was true. But, there was more than that.

"I see very little I could do," Cora said.

"Go talk to the asari, if you wish it." It was really meant to be a dismissive, throw-away dig, but Cora stepped forward.

"Are you questioning my loyalties?"

Sara knew Cora could punt her across the room with ease. It would get Cora promptly arrested, but it was something she could do.

"The asari aren't even close to pulling their weight. You know it and I know it. You are close with Queen Sarissa. Make something happen."

Sara straightened a little more, looking at Cora in the eye.

"I am commanding you, as both Alec's daughter and princess of Hyperion, to negotiate an increase of asari troops. Aim for a 200% increase. My father keeps you around for a reason. Make yourself useful."

Cora took that as the dismissal it was, bowing before sitting down at her desk, not looking at Sara.

Sara didn't make any further acknowledgement to Cora before leaving. Her shoulders slumped instantly the door closed behind her, air gusting out of her in a whoosh as she came down from the adrenaline high.

…

The urge to take her frustrations out on a punching bag sang in her veins. Then, she realized she had an alternative. Or, something like that.

"Hey, Drack."

She found the krogan poring over a supply manifest. It was one of the things that he didn't really have to do as a Hyperion official, but did so anyway because he liked being useful and 'humans were too forgetful and will forget to order food if allowed'.

"Hey, Princess. What brings you to visit me?" he grunted.

"Where is Jaal's workspace, where you put him?"

Drack blinked. "I put him in one of the old munition storage containers. It's big enough to house him and his stuff. It used to hold a tank. But I had a couple fans installed so he doesn't boil."

Sara nodded slowly before saying, "Okay. That doesn't tell me where it is."

He pointed at the radio control tower. "It's just behind there."

"Thank you, Drack."

Drack grunted a laugh. "No problem, kid. Go be with your prince."

She poked her tongue at Drack before striding to where he had indicated.

The almost kiss still echoed in her mind. That was so awkward and almost not awkward if she hadn't been an idiot and not gotten so hungry while she was in the garden.

Her mouth worked around his name without his title, saying his name in silence, as she approached the surprisingly large rectangle that was Jaal's workspace. As she got closer, she could hear the faint clinking of metal.

"Prince Jaal?" she called out, wincing as she immediately lost her nerve.

She stepped into the doorway, blinking at the sudden change from sunlight to the bright fluorescence.

Jaal fumbled with something, like he was struggling to put things into their drawers.

"Ah, give me one moment! I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Hiding something?" Sara asked, backing up in respect of his privacy. It piqued her curiosity, but she wasn't so rude that she was going to barge in and demand he show her what he was doing.

"Ah, something like that," Jaal mumbled.

Once the clattering sounds quieted, Sara stepped further into the room. The only hints of what he was doing were the leftover tools: small wire cutters and pliers.

Jaal smiled sheepishly.

"What can I do for you, m—?" He broke off in a fit of coughing, the loud sound filling the room.

Sara reached forward, concerned. "Are you okay? Need some water?"

Purple flushed high on his face as he quickly recovered. "Ah, no. Thank you, Princess Sara."

Sara wasn't sure if she believed him. She wasn't even sure what had happened but it struck her as strange.

"How are you, Prince Jaal?"

"I am fine. I appreciate the workspace." He gestured around the room.

"What have you been working on?" Sara asked.

Jaal almost seem to shrink at the question. Like he was embarrassed. Or, more like a child whose hand was just caught in the cookie jar.

"Ah, nothing much."

Strange.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Kadara. I have an update for you," Sara said.

Jaal brightened almost comically and Sara felt something melt a little inside her.

"You got permission from your father?"

Sara shifted on her feet. "Well, not yet. I've at least broached the topic with Liam and Drack, and they're, well, they aren't going to let me go alone but they're not gonna stop me either."

Jaal nodded, understanding. "Good friends."

She cleared her throat, nervous. Why was asking someone such a simple question so nerve-wracking "So, that's not the only reason I came here."

"Then, why are you here?"

"I was thinking we go for a walk together. You—you like the garden." Her skin felt too tight for her body, cheeks heating up, as she fumbled over her words. She bit her lip, tapping her hand against the doorframe.

"You know, if you want," she finished lamely.

Jaal regarded her with an inscrutable expression, before a small smile bloomed on his face. "Of course."

The deep sense of satisfaction at the answer warmed her chest immediately. Maybe she was in deeper than she imagined.

Jaal followed her out, closing the rickety metal door behind him.

"So, you're definitely not going to tell me what you were working on?" Sara asked as they began to walk.

He shook his head. "No."

"Can you tell me who it for?"

"No, I cannot."

Sara pouted a bit before smiling. "Alright. You can have your secret, but I hope to see whatever it was you were working on at some point."

"I'm sure you will."

It wasn't quite a promise, but she liked to think that it was.

"I look forward to visiting Kadara. But nothing is confirmed."

Sara shrugged. "I'll talk to my father. He's the ultimate decision maker."

"And if you're unable to make it happen, it's okay," Jaal said, "I realize now it was a large askance of you."

"No, I'm going to make it happen."

Jaal regarded her with a smile. "I see you like getting what you want."

She shrugged. "I was never that kid who whined to my parents to get me a pony or whatever. But, when it's something that's important to me, I try to get it."

"This is important to you?"

Sara felt her cheeks heat up again. "We're gonna be married. Things that are important to you are important to me too."

That seemed to shock Jaal, making him blush. Sara took that as a victory.

"And what is important to you?" Jaal asked.

Sara kicked at the ground, pursing her lips. "Conservation of Prothean sites. Hunger. The war."

Her most public-facing cause was the Prothean conservation. She advocated for protection of the ancient sites. The war and hunger were things she had to be more delicate around because politics.

She shrugged. "Not a lot can get done when there are hundreds and thousands of people against you. Sometimes, people pass laws that go against what I believe and sometimes I just have to accept it. I try to fight whenever I can."

"I understand fully. I am experienced at what I do. I am a good strategist for my people. Others sometimes do not agree with my ideas or my strategies."

"And you have to work with them."

"Yes. Sometimes, I have to compromise. And sometimes I dig my heels in and fight until I get my way."

She could imagine Jaal at the head of a war room, leaning forward to brace his hands on the table. He would argue his point in a loud, commanding voice, capturing the attention of everyone in the room.

"What do you think we should do?" Sara asked.

She wasn't sure what she was asking. Kadara, the war, everything. This lot they were cast was not taken lightly, but she wished she could better understand what they were supposed to do.

"I suppose we will do whatever needs to be done." Jaal offered a small smile.

It was strange to hear coming out of his mouth. It was something she told herself over and over again as she tried to work towards her goals for the betterment of her people. In his mouth, it sounded less harsh and more hopeful.

"It's going to be hard," Sara sighed.

She could now imagine the two of them side-by-side. It was something that made her stomach do funny flips.

They walked in silence until Jaal spoke up again. "There is more light in Nexus."

He held out his hand and collected the sunlight.

"We are closer to the sun," Sara mumbled.

Pictures of Heleus were always a little dimmer than Nexus. Sara had assumed it was mostly because of the quality of the pictures, but clearly it was more than that.

"Yes. We spend a lot of money on heat lamps. Our crops are fine without any help, but it is our people who need the most help. We rely on your manufacturing more than you realize."

Weapons, the lamps.

"I've spoken with General Harper. Hopefully we can get more from the asari and the salarians. This war needs to end."

Jaal nodded, drooping a little. "Many have died. I wish there was more we could do right now."

"We have to be realistic."

Jaal stopped where he walked. She stopped as well, a question on her tongue before it died a quick death.

His eyes were too bright and his chin shook a little.

"How many of our people have to die before I can be strong enough?" he winced.

Sara looked away, wincing.

"I don't know. But it's not your fault. I know that. You can't magically fix everything."

"I am a prince of Havarl and Heleus. Every time—" He broke off, his throat seeming to close with emotion. "Every time one of my people dies, part of me dies with them."

Sara took his hand in hers, almost instinctive, as he wept softly.

That night, she wept as well.

…

 **All feedback is appreciated!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	15. Chapter 15

**THERE'S ART NOW OMGGG CHECK IT OUT ITS FROM CHAPTER 5 post/182176652411/if-this-was-going-to-work-they-needed-to-be/a**

 **Thanks for all the feedback! I really appreciate it!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

"Dad, I'm here to ask for permission to visit Kadara with Prince Jaal."

She didn't allow for much preamble after entering Alec's office. She was nervous enough already and didn't want to draw out the conversation any longer than it had to.

Alec's eyebrows shot to his hairline at request and Sara inhaled softly in anticipation. This was the major hurdle to her plan. He had the authority to allow this to go through, or slap the idea right out of the air.

"And you came here, expecting that I _wouldn't_ say no immediately?" he drawled.

Her heart sank a little in disappointment. So much for an enthusiastic agreement for her plan. Not that she was actually expecting an immediate agreement.

"It was Jaal's request," Sara said primly.

That fact didn't seem to smooth out the wrinkles in Alec's forehead. Ever the tactician, she knew that he was thinking, but gave no indication _what_ he was thinking.

"Regardless of who's idea it is, it's a terrible idea. Dangerous. Two royals in a lawless place like Kadara? Sloane Kelly would sooner have your heads on pikes than protect you."

From what little interaction she had ever had with Sloane Kelly (and it wasn't a lot), she couldn't disagree with Alec. Kelly lacked any respect or deference to any of the Nexus crowns or the Citadel. She was a leader out of rebellion and being a general asshole about anyone in power was something that enamored her followers.

Kadara was a blot on Nexus, but also an unfortunate necessity. The underground and the gangs had to go somewhere.

And then there was the angara refugees.

Sara was sure, the moment Jaal saw what his people went through in Kadara, that he would demand that they be evacuated and placed in one of the more legitimate kingdoms.

A logistical nightmare, if not an impossibility.

"I am well aware of Kelly's attitude towards us."

"Then, why did you bother wasting my time?"

That was a sharp barb and Sara couldn't help but wince. Really? She couldn't ask him something like this, even in a hypothetical, without being treated like an inconvenience.

She straightened. "Dad. If I don't go with him, he'll go by himself and neither of us will know what he's doing or where he's going."

"And we could always keep him from leaving."

Was he being argumentative for the sake of it? What was his play?

Sara crossed her arms over her chest, stubbornness taking hold. "And cause a potential crisis if word gets out Hyperion is keeping Heleus royalty hostage in the palace?"

Alec pursed his lips, running a hand over his beard. "I don't like it."

"I don't like it either but I've accepted that I don't have a choice."

Alec nodded. "Now you're sounding like a queen."

He sounded almost proud of her for that. She felt no relief or even much pleasure from it. She just wanted this conversation to be over so she could leave and tell Jaal the good or bad news.

"So, you will allow us to go?" she asked.

"I will. I will have to contact Captain Kosta about the affair. I won't allow you or the prince to be placed in harm's way. Too much is riding on this."

Some feeling of happiness in Alec's concern was quashed by his pragmatism.

He was a solider and a king first, father second. She had come to expect this.

"I understand," Sara sighed, "I just request that we'll be able to visit the angara refugee centers and villages."

"Request granted, for the centers only. The villages leave too much of a risk."

"But—."

"My word on that is final."

Sara sagged a little. Jaal wasn't going to be happy to hear that. He had at least tempered his expectations on what the Kadara trip would be like, but he made it clear he wanted to visit as many of his people as possible.

"And I hear you want General Harper sent to Leusinia."

Sara could already imagine Cora coming to him and complaining about the task Sara gave her. And Alec eyed her suspiciously, like Cora had already painted her request in an unflattering light.

"I thought it was the proper thing to do, while Prince Jaal and I are away," Sara said, shrugging. "Negotiations need to continue and who better to talk to the asari than one who trained with them?"

She maintained a nonchalant expression as the suspicion didn't abate from Alec's face.

"Very well. General Harper wasn't happy about the idea. I hope you realize this."

"She made that clear to me, yes."

Alec nodded. "Very well. I will see what can be done in regards to that. On the topic of your trip to Kadara, we should send you there as soon as possible."

The less time this plan hung in the air, the better. It meant less time for the crown's enemies to plan an attack.

"Is that all, Sara?"

She met her father's eyes and nodded. "That's all."

"Well, you can be on your way."

He all but shooed her out of the room. Any other day, she would have been upset, but she got what she wanted. That was reason to celebrate.

…

The pragmatic part of her wanted to tell Jaal the good news over dinner because it was a big announcement and should be treated as such. The tiny romantic part of her wanted to just have dinner with Jaal for the sake of having dinner with him.

Jaal wasn't in his workshop, so Sara had to find an angara attendant she could to pass off a simple message to him: 'meet me for dinner tonight, south solarium'.

That was the blessedly easy part. The wracking nervousness that followed was difficult.

Fuck, what did she just do? It gave her barely 2 hours to prepare.

Sending a quick message to the cooks and the palace staff, she all but sprinted to her room.

She jumped into the shower, using more soap and shampoo than was probably necessary. Jaal often spoke of the perfumes and cologne that was Heleus' famed export. He always smelled good.

She should do the same, right?

Hair still dripping wet, Sara wished that she had the foresight to have someone do her hair and makeup for her.

"Dammit. Okay."

She slapped on enough makeup to make the perpetual shadows under her eyes look lighter and her eyes a little brighter.

Her hand hovered over the lipstick, a naive hope fluttering in her chest as if something would come out of this little dinner that wasn't just a quiet exchange of 'good night'. She opted for lip balm.

Finding something to wear was a little less daunting: A light grey dress with a delicate floral pattern. With a sparkling necklace and simple flats, she was ready to take this on.

Cradling a datapad in her hands, she walked to the solarium, realizing belatedly that it would be the same place she met with Avela Kjar weeks earlier.

Never did she think she would be meeting her fiancé with butterflies in her stomach.

The table set up was painfully romantic. A small table, two chairs across from each other. Some flowers from the garden sat in a vase and unnecessary candles fluttered as a draft drifted in.

"Is this to your liking, my lady?" asked one of the housekeepers milling near the door.

Sara nodded, remembering to smile. "Of course. It looks lovely."

"Prince Jaal should be here in a moment, I believe. And the cooks are almost done preparing your meals."

Another nod. "Of course."

"May I be frank with you, my lady?"

"Uh, sure."

"The Prince is very beautiful. You make a beautiful couple."

The housekeeper blushed as Sara shifted, feeling her own face heat up.

"Thank you. What's your name?"

"Kate, my lady." Kate wrung her hands, as if worried she had overstepped.

"Well, Kate, I'm glad I have someone in my court."

Kate curtsied and all but bolted.

Sara sat at the little table. There were two forks and spoons for the each of them, like this was supposed to be a fancy affair.

Suddenly, she felt very under-dressed. Was he going to be in his full royal regalia as he did the first time they met? It had been an attractive look, but she had worn an evening gown at the time, not a simple dress like she was wearing now.

She scrolled her datapad, checking the bookmarked files on the refugee shelters in Kadara. There was a shortlist on where they would go, but she kept a few others in the wings in case they were able to sneak away.

"Good evening, Princess Sara."

She jerked in shock, scrambling to stand, setting the datapad on the table just a tad too hard.

"Prince Jaal."

Oh, man, she wished she had heard him coming, just so she could watch him approach. He didn't have his headdress but he had his purple and silver rofjinn, the same one he wore when the first met. He could've been wearing a potato sack and still look very attractive to her.

"You look lovely, Princess Sara," he said.

Still using titles. She couldn't help but feel disappointed but the compliment still warmed her chest.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Prince Jaal."

He smiled, shifted a little as he stood.

"Thank you for this invitation to dine with me. May I ask for the occasion?"

"Do I need a reason to have dinner with my fiancé?" she asked.

He paused before shrugging. "You have a point. I was only curious."

They sat down at the table, Sara nervously taking a sip from a water glass.

"I wanted to give you the good news in person. My father has approved our trip to Kadara."

His face broke into a smile. "That's wonderful."

"It's going to take a little while for the whole logistic stuff is ironed out, a little over a week. After that, we're good to go."

She handed him the datapad. "Here are some of the places we're planning on going. The first one is the biggest refugee center in the region."

" _Basaan_. In my language, it means 'hope'."

The "Hope" Refugee Center. It was definitely on the nose.

His fingers skimmed up the datapad, scrolling through the carefully-posed pictures and the more candid snaps.

"These pictures look hopeful. My people are treated well?"

Sara shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I just—want you to see what's coming."

When Jaal looked to her expecting an explanation, she shrugged again.

"Kadara isn't kind to anyone who comes there. Thankfully, it seems your people keep close to each other, which offers some protection."

One of the cooks shuffled in with a serving tray with plates balanced in one hand.

"My lady, my lord."

The two quietly thanked her as she set their plates down in front of her, not needing to ask which plate belonged to who because it was obvious what was the human food and what was the angara food.

Until that moment Sara had forgotten what she had ordered for her dinner: fried pork chops and mashed potatoes. In hindsight it wasn't an amazingly healthy idea, but she had been nervous when she was organizing this affair and wanted some comfort food.

"Ah, excellent," Jaal murmured.

She smiled around a bite of food. "Is it good?"

"I'm sure it will be."

"I've never had angara food before. It's definitely different to what I'm used to."

Jaal hummed.

The thought of him spoon-feeding her the paste flashed through her mind before he scooped a little onto one of the small plates meant for the bread and pushed it over to her.

"Thank you," Sara said.

From the surface, it didn't look too bad. Still, it had the color and consistency of baby food. It smelled good, savory like a pot of stew.

She dragged her fork through it, taking up a small amount before bringing it to her lips.

Sara had to mentally force herself to keep away the expression of revulsion as soon as the paste touched her tongue. It tasted of sour and spice in all the wrong and unpleasant ways, like bad leftovers.

"You don't like it."

Whoops, maybe her poker face wasn't as good as she had imagined. Before Sara could formulate a stammering apology, Jaal waved it off.

"Don't worry, I was made aware humans greatly dislike angara food."

"Is the feeling mutual?"

"Well, I find Nexus food to be quite bland. Like I was eating paper."

Sara scoffed. The breading on the pork chop was anything but bland, but she knew that angara had different physiology to humans. She imagined that wherever they went they would need to have an angara cook if they were on Nexus or a human cook if they were on Heleus.

It was going to be its own unique kind of clusterfuck, but she couldn't be too upset about it. It was a new adventure.

"I hope we get to see as much of Kadara as possible. I want to meet my people and how they live on Nexus."

She thought about bringing up that they couldn't really wander around Kadara. Instead, she bit it back. That would come later. She didn't want to burst his bubble.

"It will be a good experience for the both of us. I guess it will be practice before we go to Heleus."

Color blushed across his face suddenly. "Yes. I look forward to that."

"Do you know if anyone is making arrangements for that?"

"I've broached the topic with Evfra. He has his contacts on Heleus to make sure we can get you there safely."

She thought on the military craft flying in formation as Jaal's ship flew in to Hyperion. There would be that and more as two members of royalty were on board.

"I will make sure you are safe when you visit Heleus."

"And I will make sure you're safe when you visit Kadara."

A solemn promise passed between them and it felt more intimate than any moment they had been together before.

They talked over the food until the plates were clean and when the cook took the plates away. The only thing that stopped them from talking the night away, making plans for Kadara, was when the candles started to sputter as the wicks ran out.

"Do you want to eat together tomorrow?" Jaal asked.

Sara blushed red, thankful that the fading light hid it.

"Of course, I do."

Of course, she did. She wanted nothing more in the world than to have dinner with him again.

Jaal pushed back his chair, clearing his throat. Sara moved to do the same when Jaal murmured, "Wait, wait."

Oh? She didn't move from her chair as he stood up and rounded the table. He offered his hand for her to take, purple-blue coloring his face.

"Oh."

She gripped onto his hand and he pulled her up onto her feet, heart leaping to her throat.

Her hand stayed in his as they stood together. Sara glanced up at his face and saw he was still blushing.

Jaal leaned down, bringing her hand up to meet him. He kissed her hand, right above her knuckles, lingering just a bit longer than the first time they had met, and she all but melted.

Dammit, he knew just how to get to her, didn't he?

"Good night, Princess Sara. Sleep well," Jaal murmured.

Her hand was still in his, warmth leeching into her skin.

"Good night, Prince Jaal."

Finally, he let her go, but they still stood close, both unsure what to do next. Her hands itched to touch him again, but she held back.

Somehow, it didn't feel like the right time. His name still felt foreign to her mouth, unable to speak it without tacking 'Prince' at the beginning of it.

His eyes roamed over her before he gave a short nod, like he had found the answer to a question she couldn't hear.

"Good night," he repeated, voice so gentle.

She watched him leave, a tiny smile tugging at her lips, heart doing backflips.

…

 **:D**

 **All feedback is appreciated!**

 **Cheers!**

 **~Tiara of Sapphires**


	16. Chapter 16

**Alright let me explain! A lot has happened! I changed jobs and moved in with my boyfriend and joined an anthology for a different fandom where I hit the upper limit of the word count, so I have been neglecting most of my stories! Sorry!**

 **But I am thankful and grateful for everyone who commented on the last chapter and those who have urged me to continue working on this! I made this chapter extra long just for you!**

 **Enjoy!**

…

Nine days passed and they were filled with briefings and meetings about security and who they were going to meet and where they were going to go.

Sara had been almost spot-on with what organizations would be on the itinerary.

Hope Refugee Center, then its sister centers: Peace and Freedom. It would be topped off with a party at Sloane Kelly's fortress totaling to a four-day affair.

The dinners continued during the arrangements, planning how they were going to shrug off the intense security detail to experience things other than the carefully choreographed photo-ops and tours of the facilities.

Those were ambitious plans. They knew they probably wouldn't come to pass, but it was nice to imagine sneaking around the streets of Kadara. While most of the people in Kadara couldn't give a shit about what the Hyperion and Heleus royals looked like, there were the few that would know and could cause problems. Adventure was all well and good, but being kidnapped or killed in the middle of a Kadara marketplace wasn't part of the plan at all.

When they got tired of talking about Kadara, they would talk about Heleus, about their future plans for when Sara would visit. They wouldn't talk about the eventual wedding. It was something that was too distant, something that neither of them could fully comprehend. They could talk about official visits and time together, but not of the eventual union.

Sometimes, when dinner ended and it was time for them to part for the night, he would kiss her hand, light and gentle. Then, sometimes he would press just a little harder against the back of her hand. Though his eyes were filled with cool colors, there was heat to his gaze.

It was the sort of thing that easily haunted her dreams, except for the night before they were to embark on their trip. Instead of rosily romantic scenes, her mind went over best-case and worst-case scenarios in endless loops. She imagined picture-perfect visits and near-intimacy. She imagined security breaches and blood and panic.

Irrational, either way. It wouldn't be a complete disaster but it wouldn't be perfect.

They just had to survive through the trip and that was the most important part. Next important would be avoiding any kind of scandal. Talking about the kett war was already taboo. Talking about the refugee crisis that stemmed from it was just as touchy.

It was mostly families housed in the centers, innocent bystanders. Families, especially those closest to the battlefield, were given priority in the lottery, though their fates were left to luck.

It was the fairest way, but there were some who left family and friends behind. She couldn't imagine what kind of pain and resentment could come from that.

She was told to be prepared. It was predicted that they would be welcomed, but there would be those who would be suspicious or hostile to her and to Jaal. The human princess, living a charmed life, coming to visit refugees of a war-torn planet. Sara would've spit on that princess, if she was an angara in that situation.

Regardless, it would be difficult for her to truly screw this up. The angara seemed so welcoming and she wasn't a walking trainwreck. At least, she wouldn't be a wreck if she would finally sleep.

Her eyes flitted over the ceiling before she closed her eyes again and prayed for sleep to come.

The morning found her, wired and barely rested.

"Sara!"

The pounding at her door and Scott's shouting was a welcome, yet unwelcome surprise.

"Yes?" she greeted when she opened the door, wiping crud from her eyes.

Scott grinned, but the expression faded at the dour look on her face. "You okay?"

"I'm stressed as hell, thanks for asking."

"Aw, come on," Scott insisted. "It's gonna be fine. You and your prince are going to be fine."

He shoved a plastic-wrapped pastry into her face. "Here, eat this. It will give you strength."

"You're so dramatic."

She stuffed it in her mouth to avoid answering any borderline invasive questions about Jaal.

"I just haven't seen you for so long. I had to go to Paarchero of all places and kowtow to the salarians who think of me as a dumb jock," Scott whined.

"But you are a bit of a jock."

Scott gasped, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I'm not dumb though!"

Sara grinned and nudged him.

"Of course not, now get out of my room. I gotta change."

...

After much mental debate, she had her less-bulky armor and the dialed down, less threatening-looking tactical suit.

Though the paranoid part of her wanted to put on the full-on armor, she was going to a shelter. She wasn't going to a warzone. If she got blown out of the sky by militants en route, armor would do little to protect her.

There was a non-zero chance that she could get shivved or shot by one of the refugees during the tour, but she wouldn't allow herself to be ruled by that kind of fear.

A set of her full armor sat in the cargo hold of the transport. If she needed to wear it, she would.

Jaal, once again, had beaten her to the ship, if the angara guards at the open door told her anything.

"Good morning, Princess," Liam greeted.

Sara waved as he approached, sunny smile on his face.

"Well, the day has finally come."

"Are we ready?" Sara asked.

"Ready as ever," Liam shrugged. "As far as we know, and we know a lot, no major organization knows we are leaving right now."

The cargo hold was loaded up and almost all of the personnel meant to be on the ship were on board.

Liam huffed in obvious relief. "Shall we embark?"

"Is my father going to come to wish us off?" Sara wondered, glancing back to the palace.

Liam shook his head. "He said he was indisposed at the moment, but he wishes you well."

She couldn't help the sinking feeling of disappointment, though she wasn't surprised. "Then, let's go."

Liam gave the signal to the pilots watching them from the cockpit as the two humans filed in, the guards at the door ducking in as well as the door folded up and shut behind them.

Sara's eyes roamed over Jaal, who hadn't noticed her arrival just yet.

He had gone with a similar route in dress as she had: protective, but not war-like. Metal plates lined the armor, but there was no flash like the ceremonial jewelry Sara was used to seeing Jaal wear. It was purely utilitarian, but still _very_ attractive.

Yeah, she was definitely screwed.

"I'll leave you to it," Liam murmured with a cheeky grin on his face.

Sara blushed. She must have been staring dumbfoundedly at him, completely obvious.

With an excited nervousness that had nothing to do with the trip, she approached, wondering if she should make a greeting or wait for him to notice her.

He glanced up from the datapad in his hand as she opened her mouth, his face lighting up in recognition as her jaw snapped shut.

"Hello, Princess Sara."

She smiled. "Good morning."

"I see we are all here and it is time for us to go."

The take-off procedures were already underway, but Sara's words seemed to galvanize the ship's crew.

The shuttle rocked a little as they lifted off.

Sara looked at the seat across from him and the seat beside him, deciding that she wasn't going to be afraid right now.

"Are you excited to see your people?" she asked while sidling up next to him, sitting down next to him.

"Of course. I just hope that my people will be happy to see us."

Sara nudged him a little. "I don't see why they wouldn't. You're their prince."

A tiny smile pulled at his face, albeit rather sad. "The Vesaal has led to a lot of resentment for the people who were left behind; especially those who live close to the fighting were angry for being passed over. The leadership and royal families never left. I am one of the very few members of the royal families to leave Heleus to come here."

He shifted a little in his seat. "Some of my people were unhappy that I left at all."

"The Roekaar?" Sara asked.

He flinched. "Akksul is a radical. He is good at killing kett, so that keeps him popular. It excuses his hatred for the Nexus people."

The ship shuddered around them, making their ascent towards the atmosphere.

"He had very…unkind things to say when our arrangement was announced."

It was Sara's turn to wince. Some of that had managed to find its way to her, but she avoided even looking at it. She knew once she started reading about how much some angara hated her, it would only drive her to read all she could able how much she was hated.

She was already worried that Jaal would come to hate her. She didn't need to add to it.

Jaal smiled cheerfully. "I've never given much stock to what he has said. His Roekaar have some pull in our governments, but everyone with sense knows we need Nexus."

Sara nodded, looking at her hands where they sat in her lap. "I don't like thinking about how much people like or don't like our arrangement."

She barely knew what she thought about their arrangement. The open derision that she could find brought a chill down her spine.

Jaal turned his attention to his datapad.

"I suppose everyone has their opinion," he mumbled. "But, I am— _happy_ with our arrangement."

If Sara had been drinking something, she would have spat it out. She felt suddenly very warm and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hold his hand or run from the room.

"I'm happy too," she murmured.

Happiness was good. She could hold that in her heart and have that carry her for the rest of the trip.

...

Hyperion and its capital had the unhappy privilege of being right next to Kadara and sharing more border than any of the other kingdoms, so Sara didn't expect the flight to be all that long.

They didn't speak too much in the duration of the flight. Because people were around, she felt like there was a block between them.

But then, she also didn't like the idea of people listening in to their conversations.

She was satisfied in knowing that he was happy about their relationship. Still not on first-name basis, but still, good enough.

The boom of their military escort made her start. They were in Kadara airspace now and their escort had doubled instantly. For good reason, as Kadara was filled with militia groups and Nexus malcontents who would love to see the ship blown out of the sky.

She glanced at Liam, who shot her a thumbs-up. No need to worry.

She stood up as the engines started to quiet, wandering to the window. Rocky grassland and bright blue lakes and a city in the distance filled her view.

"We're getting close, aren't we?" she wondered aloud.

"T-minus 10 minutes until we arrive at the center, Princess," one of the attendants chirped.

She nodded.

She could only hope that the people there would like her, like them both. Visits by royalty in just about anywhere lead to mixed emotions. There were those who were outright hostile, those who were happy and those who were utterly indifferent.

"Shall we?" Sara asked with a levity she didn't feel when the ship landed with a shudder on the landing pad.

"Let's."

Jaal offered his arm and she gently rested her arm on his. She was safe here, she knew that. They were surrounded by uncertainty, but there was some anchor to be found there.

They stepped out into Kadara's muted light.

A trio of angara stood a few paces from the base of the ramp, waiting for them. A camera drone hovered next to them, eagerly taking in the sight of the two descending to the planet's surface.

"Welcome, Prince Jaal and Princess Sara. We are so glad you've come to visit," the woman in the center greeted. "My name is Kata Avrad, the head of this shelter. My brother, Davram, our quartermaster. Esha Shorsel, our official liaison between the Nexus peoples."

Sara smiled, but wasn't sure how to address her. She was a woman of importance, but of no concrete rank or title. "We are grateful for your welcome, Director Avrad. We have aid supplies in the cargo hold."

The angara stuck out her hand in a very human-like greeting. Sara wasn't going to correct her. She didn't have the same luxury of being bold as she did when meeting Jaal, especially not with the cameras snapping pictures and little clips of vid. There was going to be a video drone following them most of the visit, so she had to be on her best behavior.

They shook hands and Sara smiled tightly.

The angara either didn't notice her discomfort or didn't care. Instead, she smiled brightly. "Please, call me Kata. You are going to love it here. Everyone is excited to see you."

Then, Kata turned to Jaal and seemed to visible brighten.

"We are honored to meet a member of the Havarl royal family. The vids don't do you justice," Kata said.

She smiled demurely and Jaal returned with a smile of his own.

The hot pang of jealousy took Sara off-guard. It didn't make much sense. She had seen Jaal speak to other female angara. This shouldn't have been much different, but somehow it was.

"You are doing our people a great service here," Jaal murmured. "I am truly grateful to know our people are taken care of."

The heat turned stone-cold. Of course, Kata was doing more for Heleus than whatever Sara possibly could. Sara could entertain the royal advisors and diplomats, could send supplies, but what mattered was the people who suffered most intimately from this war.

"How many are housed here?" Sara asked numbly.

She had to shove the feelings aside, had to be objective. She had to be the diplomat, the shining representative of Hyperion.

"A thousand in the main center and an additional 15 thousand in our satellites. Those are just the ones associated with _Basaan_."

That was just those who lived in the shelters and centers. How many more lived in Kadara, only without the support the shelters brought?

The sheer enormity of it knocked the air out of her lungs. She had been blind.

How could she live with herself? How could anyone live with themselves when this was happening.

She dreaded to look out to the city streets. They, the people in the high places of the Nexus governments, spoke of crime and homelessness. What of the suffering? How could she go back to Hyperion and the tall walls and her cushy bed when things like this were happening.

"Princess?"

Jaal tapped her elbow and she snapped back to attention. The tour had begun. Jaal gently cupped the joint and pulled her forward. If people gave her strange looks for staring off into space, she didn't notice.

The contact disappeared as quickly as it came. Sara missed it more than she cared to admit.

"Tell me everything about this place," Sara said.

Sara had read up on the center, but Kata could always have information that the records and press releases didn't. All the more time Sara could spend being a good listener, the better.

Kata smoothed out her dress before beginning. "The main facility was built ten years ago with tax funds and donations from philanthropic groups on Nexus and Heleus. It is 7 stories with all the amenities required with the intake of so many refugees."

Sara nodded.

It looked like every penny had been spent wisely, though she could never be too sure. There would be the scandals of departments squandering cash into the pockets of those meant to lead large projects for the good of their regions. However, anything having to do with the angara was closely regulated and audited constantly.

While most the Nexus governments had fallen over themselves to be seen as generous allies of the angara, there had been a vocal minority who demanded oversight. It rankled most of the angara in charge, as interviews tied to the shelter's creation would attest to.

The long hallway opened to large room with high ceilings and full of tables in neat rows.

"Meals are served twice a day, in the morning and evening."

Sara pursed her lips. When she thought about it, she never really knew how many meals Jaal had a day. It would make sense that there would be a morning and evening meal, but what if the people here got hungry in the middle of the day?

"Is that enough? Should more funds be allocated to food?" Sara asked.

Jaal leaned down slightly. "Princess Sara, angara only have 2 meals a day."

She internally winced. Of course, she should've noticed that, but Jaal always ate when she asked him to eat lunch with her or to join her for an afternoon tea.

Cognizant of the camera and the billions looking for a stumble, Sara struggled to continue with the lame question she posed. "And those who are weakened by illness?"

"They are, of course, given more food throughout the day," Davram interjected, "We carefully parcel out food for everyone and leave just enough for extenuating circumstances."

While most of the tables were empty, clearly in between meal hours, one was occupied by several adult angara, all lounging quietly.

Some of them eyed the party with undisguised suspicion, others with indifference. Silver and iron and the faint light of sensors cleaved to their bodies.

"Prostheses," she wondered aloud.

Kata followed her gaze and bright eyes softened with sorrow.

"Yes. It isn't often that veterans from the war come to Nexus. They often seek to stay with their own."

"Until death?"

"Yes. Or until their family is chosen by the Vesaal."

Sara couldn't imagine the mixed feelings they would have had when they were chosen. Relief, in that they were leaving a war-torn world, but also sorrow in leaving their fellow angara to fight.

Jaal didn't speak often of his part in the war. He had mentioned fighting the kett on some occasions, but never as a part of a large-scale campaign.

"Do they want to be here?" Sara asked.

"I should hope so," Jaal murmured. "There are millions who would sacrifice everything to be in their place."

Esha spoke up in a soft, calm voice, "Sometimes, they are ashamed of leaving, even if it is with their family. Others come to realize that dying needlessly will bring nothing of value."

Sara didn't want to think about the slaughter that they had likely seen. The total losses of the war numbered in the millions over the course of a century.

"They carry their friends' names and memories with them," Sara murmured. "I am thankful for that. Will I be able to speak with them?"

"Later, Princess. We have much to see, but there will be time for you to meet our people."

While 'our' was likely meant to exclude Sara and the rest of the humans in the party, she knew that in the coming months 'our people' would come to mean her people as well.

The kitchens came next. Cabinets and refrigerators were stuffed to the brim with different kinds of paste.

The chefs were clearly on break, as no angara or Nexus volunteers milled around.

"Your donations will be welcomed, Princess."

Sara let some pride balloon in her chest. Donations would be needed. Maybe she could petition Alec for more funding to be sent to the network of shelters.

From there, the halls became a bit more labyrinthian, but the angara guides knew exactly where they were going. They passed by closed doors where Kara said were rooms full of beds for the refugees. Behind each door, there was loud chatter and nobody seemed to want to interrupt whatever conversations were going on. Sara was grateful for it. She already felt like an intruder and she didn't want to disturb their daily lives.

They made their way to a small attended desk, sat next to a pair of closed doors. Just above the doors was a sign with Shelesh and underneath the translation scrolling between Nexus languages: _Nursery_.

"Oh," Sara murmured. "Can I see?"

Kata smiled. "It was our next part of the tour, Princess. I would be glad to show you."

The angara attending the door added, "Everything is clear for visitors, ma'am. Opening the doors now." He pressed a button on the console at his station and the doors slowly creaked open.

The smell of herbs and antiseptic hit Sara's nose right as the chorus of quiet crying and babbling hit her ears.

It was a lot bigger than she had expected, at least five times the size of the average hospital nursery.

Strings of lights dangled from the ceiling in a haphazard mess. Sara could only imagine when the main lights were turned off and only the strands remained it, it would look like a galaxy of stars.

Bassinets stood in neat rows, almost all occupied with sleeping or wailing infants.

"All of the children here have been inoculated against Nexus diseases. Those who aren't are in quarantine, away from the group."

That answered the question that had bubbled up Sara's throat.

"There are so many of them. Is this all the babies in the center?" Jaal asked.

"Most children are with their families. The ones here either have been recently ill or have lost their close families and waiting reunification with their extended kin."

The realization that these children were just as much victims of the war as the soldiers in the mess hall hit her like a punch.

"Can you accommodate them all?"

"Thankfully, yes. We have enough beds and supplies to support the children who come in weekly."

She strayed from the group, keeping her head turned slightly as Davram rattled off statistics on refugee intake and settlement programs.

A particularly wriggly figure in one of the bassinets caught her attention.

"What's her name?" Sara asked to the closest nurse she could find.

The nurse passing by the row stopped read the little card attached to the stand. "Losi, ma'am."

Sara stepped a little closer, leaning over the bassinet. Losi looked more like a child's doll, whimpering and cooing atop her knit blanket.

"Can I hold her?" Sara breathed.

The nurse's eyes widened in shock and Sara could hear the conversation stall behind her.

"O—of course, ma'am."

As she asked, she realized that she was really overdressed. What a dumb idea to wear armor when visiting a refugee shelter. Sara turned back to the group, laser-focused on Liam and Liam only. She didn't want to see Jaal's reaction yet. "Captain Liam, can you take my gauntlets and chestplate for a moment?"

She was already in the process of undoing the clasps and wasn't going to take no for an answer, but Liam took each piece without hesitation, smiling slightly.

She turned back as the nurse scooped up Losi into her arms—Sara noted that it wasn't unlike holding a human baby—before inching close to Sara to pass the child over.

Sara took Losi into her arms and cradled the baby's head against her chest.

"Here we are," Sara murmured.

She turned towards the rest of the group, slowly bouncing Losi in her arms.

The angara in the group, save for Jaal, all seemed very surprised at Sara, which, if it weren't for the cooing child in her arms, would have miffed her a little. Liam hid an obvious smile behind his hand.

"Come on, Jaal, she isn't going to bite you."

Jaal, who had been staring at her with an inscrutable expression, jumped a little.

"Ah, of course."

He stepped a little closer and stroked his hand over the baby's head. If Sara's heart jumped a little when his hand brushed hers, she refused to acknowledge it.

"Are my hands supposed to feel like they have pins and needles in them?"

At first, it had felt like it was just her brain playing tricks on her, a product of her nervousness. After a minute or so, it was clear it wasn't something imaginary as her hands tingled.

"Angara have bioelectricity," Kata offered. "Infants have poor control over it. Angara can mitigate the sensation, but other species cannot."

"Does it hurt?" Jaal asked with concern plain in his voice.

Sara shook her head and tucked Losi close to her chest.

"Are they orphans?" she asked. "How many of them are orphans?"

"Most are, yes."

Sara swallowed a sudden lump of emotion.

"And Losi?"

"An orphan as well. She does have some family in the center, but this little one has stayed with the nursery since she caught an illness when she first came to Nexus."

As if on cue, Losi gave a tiny cough.

Sara tapped her back softly as she looked around the nursery with a new understanding. There were so many babies and so few nurses.

Her mind spun. How could she fix this? How could she fix this travesty?

Her first responsibility would be towards the bloodline, of course. Though the thought of carrying Jaal's child was met with apprehension, there was a happy acceptance that came with it.

Her child, to satisfy her heart and the expectation of royal families. And, from there, then they could adopt a brood. The palace would be big enough. Maybe she could retrofit one of the wings of the palace for their adopted children.

"Shall we carry on?" Kata asked.

Sara couldn't help her arms tighten just briefly. She didn't want to leave the little one alone again, though it wasn't her place to keep her.

She was getting too far ahead of herself. She and Jaal weren't even married yet, much less talked about plans for children.

Losi became her child almost instantly, though she knew she would have to give Losi back to the nurse. She could relish that feeling as much as she could, the little livewire in her arms.

"Allow me to take her, Princess," the nurse said.

Remembering herself and the little blinking camera that caught her every move, Sara gave Losi a little squeeze before beginning to pass her to the nurse.

"Goodbye, little one," she murmured.

Immediately, the baby started whining and before anyone could do anything to stymie the outburst, she started to cry. The piercing sound made everyone wince and Sara felt something shrivel in her chest.

"She really likes you, milady," the nurse murmured, bouncing the child in her arms.

Sara tried to smile and likely failed.

She dimly remembered following Kata out of the nursery. Whatever Kata said was drowned out in Sara's ears by the sound of Losi's distance cries.

"Princess? Are you alright?"

Sara froze.

"What?" The words scratched their way out, her throat suddenly tight.

"Milady," Liam said. Eyes wide, he plucked a handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to Sara.

For a moment, she didn't understand why and she tried to smile but her mouth shook so hard. Then she realized, covered as much of her face as she could with that handkerchief.

She shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed.

Oh no, she couldn't stop crying. All she wanted was march back into the nursery and carry the little one to make her stop crying.

She wanted to melt into the ground and disappear. Distantly, she remembered the camera drone, but before she could manage to say anything, Jaal's voice sounded.

"I want the cameras away," Jaal said.

One of the angara hissed something unintelligible and Jaal responded with something equally unintelligible.

"Captain Liam, cut the feed now!" Jaal snapped.

A series of beeps followed the words and a silence followed.

Sara looked up just enough to at least acknowledge the group.

"I need a moment," Sara mumbled.

She walked off to the side and around a corner, just to get out of sight of the group.

She covered her face with her hands, struggling to tamp down the sobs that wanted to bubble up. She jerked when an elbow touched her arm and looked up, only to see Liam.

The disappointment she felt was overshadowed by her continued sorrow.

"Sara?"

She shook her head and sniffled.

"I didn't know," she gasped. "She's so small and she just wanted to be held."

"I know," Liam murmured. "It's terrible and nobody should have to go through that, much less a bunch of children."

Liam patted her shoulder as she hiccupped and wiped her face.

Sucking in a shaky breath, Sara murmured, "I didn't think that this trip would affect me so much."

"Anyone with a heart would be affected. You are totally natural for feeling like that."

She sniffed again, wiping under her nose.

"Do I look absolutely terrible and splotchy?" Sara whispered as she peeked over the handkerchief.

Liam looked her over. "A bit, yeah. Angara don't know the nuances of human makeup so you can say it's a smoky eye and excessive amount of blush and get away with it."

Sara groaned quietly. "Awesome. The Nexus peoples are going to know exactly what I look like."

Liam patted her shoulder. "There is a delay on the feed, so I think we will be able to stop at least some of the feed from getting out to the public."

Sara highly doubted that and could only imagine what the news sites would say about her outburst.

Finally, she asked the question that had been bothering her since she saw Liam: "Speaking of angara, where is Jaal?"

"He didn't want to intrude, I guess," Liam said, shrugging. "He definitely looked shaken up. I thought he was going to punch a hole in the camera drone before I had it turned off."

She pursed her lips and tried not to look disappointed.

"He sent me to check on you, if it means anything."

Sara sighed. "He could've come an' checked on me himself."

She was being a bit childish but she didn't care.

Liam looked her over with a thoughtful expression. "Has he ever seen you cry?"

The question took her aback for a moment. When she thought about it, she really hadn't. Jaal had been very open about his emotions, weeping openly in front of her.

When she spoke on subjects that made her upset, or heard stories that made her sad, she would blink back tears and swallow around painful tightness in her throat, but never cry.

"I don't think so," she mumbled.

"Maybe he didn't know how to react."

"Didn't want to make a scene worrying over me?" Sara mumbled, shrugging.

"You bet. I think he would've let you walk out with that little one if it made you smile."

That was a sad kind of consolation. "I couldn't do that. Losi—has a family."

Liam clearly scrambled as her mouth started to shake again with barely concealed emotion. Stars above, she instantly connected with that child.

"Hey, hey. I'm sure you could still visit her. Hell, I'll pull some strings so I can get you in contact with her family. Maybe you could get vid-calls with her."

Another shaky smile. "I would appreciate that. I don't want to intrude on her family or anything like that. They would probably feel pressured because of who I am."

"We'll see, Princess."

She folded his handkerchief and stuffed it in her pocket. "Thank you, Captain."

Liam clicked his heels cheekily before bowing. "My pleasure, milady. Shall we continue on?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Yes, before we make people too worried."

"Also, should I have my man return your gauntlets and breastplate to you or should he take it back to the ship?"

Sara blushed, realizing that she left someone to carry her stuff. "No, he can take it back to the ship."

'Alright, now, let's go." Liam stopped before they got very far. "Also, uh. The prince."

Sara paused, glancing back at Liam. "Yeah?"

"He really does care about you, you know? I could see it in his face."

Sara suddenly couldn't look at Liam's face, blushing violently. "Good to know."

They turned back around the corner to rejoin the tour group. The angara gathered themselves in a group and the Hyperion delegation was in their own group, no mingling.

Liam cleared his throat loudly to get their attention and everyone seemed to snap to attention.

Jaal, who had his back to where Sara and Liam had come from, whipped around.

"Are you okay?" Jaal asked.

Liam wasn't wrong, clearly. She didn't doubt him, but it was nice to see the confirmation. Sara brought a brave smile to her face. "I'm okay. Just got a bit overwhelmed."

Jaal's hands fidgeted by his sides. She liked to think he wanted to touch her, to see if she was really okay. Part of her was grateful that he didn't reach out, for fear she would shatter like glass under that kindness. And there was the selfish part that craved it.

And then there was the pragmatic part of her that knew that something like that couldn't happen right now, not with the reactivated camera drone and all these people around.

"I am glad, Princess," Jaal murmured.

Kata lightly clapped her hands together. "Let's continue on to the recreation center."

Thinking a thousand curses, wishing to be back in Hyperion's gardens or in that nursery, Sara plastered on a smile and followed dutifully.

…

 **And we move!**

 **Please leave some feedback for me and hopefully it doesn't take me another 8 months to update!**

 **Cheers!**


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